Bubbling with enthusiasm and energy, Afghanistan gave India a scare with the ball and a half with the bat, but 20 overs proved to be too long a time for them to sustain that quality and keenness. They could have had India at 79 for 5, but dropped Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina within eight deliveries only for the two to add a total of 53 further runs. They also conceded 16 extras to facilitate India's recovery to 159 runs, but Mohammad Shahzad, Nawroz Mangal and Mohammad Nabi chased with spirit and with gusto, taking them to within 43 with four overs to go, but R Ashwin dismissed Nabi for a 17-ball 31 to kill the chase.

Two sides turned up at the R Premadasa, the underdogs who were clearly enjoying their day on the world stage, and the fancied team who seemed to have the weight of the world on their shoulders. With India's bowling and fielding nearly conceding 160 against an Affiliate team, MS Dhoni surely has the weight of the world firmly on his shoulders. Bigger tests await India, but tonight was about Afghanistan putting up the first show for a minnow in this tournament.

It was the tall left-arm seamer Shapoor Zadran who gave Afghanistan an intentful start. The first ball he bowled, the first of the match, was dug in short even if wide outside off. By the end of that over he was beating Gautam Gambhir for pace. The official broadcasters recorded it at 150.3kmph. In his next over he got one to stop a touch, and Gambhir played on. That earned Shapoor a third over at the top, and he finished his job on Virender Sehwag: beaten twice outside off before edging through.

At 22 for 2 in the fifth over, Kohli respectfully expressed his inability to do anything wrong, reaching a sixth fifty in his last six international innings. When he lofted Gulbodin Naib for a straight six in the eighth over, the run-rate crossed six for the first time since the innings first achieved some shape. The spinners, though, put a lid on that momentum. Yuvraj Singh edged a cut to short third man off Karim Sadiq in the 11th over.

Sadiq and Nabi proceeded to exert pressure on new man Raina who soon lobbed straight back to Nabi, but perhaps in his eagerness to celebrate he let it spill. In the next over, Sadiq nearly got his second but the hit burst through Samiullah Shenwari's hands at long-on. From a possible dominating position, Afghanistan had now let indiscipline creep in both their fielding and bowling. Shapoor came back to go for 14 in his last over that included a typical extra-cover drive from Kolhi and a high full toss to Raina.

In the next over, Raina was dropped again. Dawlat Zadran came back to get Kohli a ball after he had reached his fifty, but he undid his good work with six wides in the 19th over that also incuded three lovely yorkers. Nabi bowled a superb 20th over full of yorkers until providing Dhoni with two low full tosses that he sent for four and six.

That wasn't about to dent Shahzad's spirit, who had promised a Dhoni-style helicopter shot in the lead-up to the match. He duly delivered it, off a full ball from Zaheer Khan no less, and Afghanistan were 24 for 0 in three overs, just the rate they needed. L Balaji stopped that rot for India by getting Shahzad with a bouncer, but Afghanistan were far from giving up.

Mangal hit Balaji and Irfan Pathan for a six and a four, sending Dhoni to his magic man Yuvraj, who delivered immediately with an lbw off a straight delivery. When he took two in two in the 12th over to reduce Afghanistan to 75 for 4, the game seemed over. India's bowling weakness, though, was about to raise its head. Nabi hit Zaheer's length bowling for 16 in the 16th over, and if India didn't quite panic they couldn't have been far off.

In the next over, though, Ashwin did Nabi in with a long pause before delivering, and getting him to mis-hit to long-off. That flattened the chase, but it was an effort that a lopsided tournament so far badly needed.

@ baryalaiAzizi ...Dude you think India had a good day and Afgan's had bad day..... You got it all wrong. Its other way . India had a bad day and it still could beat your azzes..Stop being cocky.

on September 20, 2012, 18:18 GMT

@SoulTaker... Future is Afghanistan's of-course. they can beat any team and any one.

ICC doesn't support Afghan team; they are not scheduled to many tournaments, not given chance of ODIs though they have ODI status. Thanks for Aussies and Pakistan for supporting Afghan team. They came to such big tournments by their talent and efforts. and soon the big teams will be afraid, as the India

limer786
on September 20, 2012, 18:17 GMT

i am sure india will lose the first round of super 8 ,,, even if they pass the group stage ,, mark it down ,, ,, i am an afghanzzz

on September 20, 2012, 17:58 GMT

@@Nisala Fernando-- Mate let me remind u one thing, before ICC even thinks of taking away test status from India ,India would take away ICC's status and BCCI will be world's cricket body and i bet u all teams will follow india.

on September 20, 2012, 17:37 GMT

Love u Afghan team, love ur each member.

Dear ICC plz and plz now that the talent of Afghan team is obvious let them improve, they need to play at least 8-12 ODI in a year and more T2Os.

SoulTaker
on September 20, 2012, 16:45 GMT

@Aziz Rahman Siddiqui: Ur team played really well we all acknowledge and appreciate that...confidence is good overconfidence is bad for ur health....ur team is just like a kid they have to learn lot more....dont just brag about this game and make stupid comments like AFG can beat any team.....after all we are the world champions....I admit that our current bowling is bad...will wait and see how u perform against other teams who has better bowling than Ind...Peace

SainiSaab
on September 20, 2012, 16:30 GMT

Where there is talk about india, the maximum number of comments are recorded. Either they win or loose, they are popular. No matter in bashing or in praising! Indians are the talk of the town everywhere

on September 20, 2012, 15:57 GMT

it cud b a shakey start but much more to come on d way......wait fr blue to bleed...go india go...

on September 20, 2012, 15:36 GMT

come on t20 is anybody's game.anything can happen the same india can humble aus or sa very next day and viceversa

rsgarcia
on September 20, 2012, 15:31 GMT

@Dhanvanth, I agree India doesn't have much in the way of death bowling (though I'm not sure if that's their biggest problem) but as a West Indian, I would point out that our death bowlers are easily Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. You can keep Edwards there, but Taylor hasn't played for us in over two years, and he's certainly not on the team here. I wish the rest of the world would get over their obsession with someone who hasn't played for us in years.

ELECTRIC_LOCO_WAP4.
on September 20, 2012, 18:52 GMT

@ baryalaiAzizi ...Dude you think India had a good day and Afgan's had bad day..... You got it all wrong. Its other way . India had a bad day and it still could beat your azzes..Stop being cocky.

on September 20, 2012, 18:18 GMT

@SoulTaker... Future is Afghanistan's of-course. they can beat any team and any one.

ICC doesn't support Afghan team; they are not scheduled to many tournaments, not given chance of ODIs though they have ODI status. Thanks for Aussies and Pakistan for supporting Afghan team. They came to such big tournments by their talent and efforts. and soon the big teams will be afraid, as the India

limer786
on September 20, 2012, 18:17 GMT

i am sure india will lose the first round of super 8 ,,, even if they pass the group stage ,, mark it down ,, ,, i am an afghanzzz

on September 20, 2012, 17:58 GMT

@@Nisala Fernando-- Mate let me remind u one thing, before ICC even thinks of taking away test status from India ,India would take away ICC's status and BCCI will be world's cricket body and i bet u all teams will follow india.

on September 20, 2012, 17:37 GMT

Love u Afghan team, love ur each member.

Dear ICC plz and plz now that the talent of Afghan team is obvious let them improve, they need to play at least 8-12 ODI in a year and more T2Os.

SoulTaker
on September 20, 2012, 16:45 GMT

@Aziz Rahman Siddiqui: Ur team played really well we all acknowledge and appreciate that...confidence is good overconfidence is bad for ur health....ur team is just like a kid they have to learn lot more....dont just brag about this game and make stupid comments like AFG can beat any team.....after all we are the world champions....I admit that our current bowling is bad...will wait and see how u perform against other teams who has better bowling than Ind...Peace

SainiSaab
on September 20, 2012, 16:30 GMT

Where there is talk about india, the maximum number of comments are recorded. Either they win or loose, they are popular. No matter in bashing or in praising! Indians are the talk of the town everywhere

on September 20, 2012, 15:57 GMT

it cud b a shakey start but much more to come on d way......wait fr blue to bleed...go india go...

on September 20, 2012, 15:36 GMT

come on t20 is anybody's game.anything can happen the same india can humble aus or sa very next day and viceversa

rsgarcia
on September 20, 2012, 15:31 GMT

@Dhanvanth, I agree India doesn't have much in the way of death bowling (though I'm not sure if that's their biggest problem) but as a West Indian, I would point out that our death bowlers are easily Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. You can keep Edwards there, but Taylor hasn't played for us in over two years, and he's certainly not on the team here. I wish the rest of the world would get over their obsession with someone who hasn't played for us in years.

zero_knowledge
on September 20, 2012, 15:15 GMT

I think the "lucky" old kits which BCCI opted for instead of the new ones helped India save itself from embarrassment :P

ProdigyA
on September 20, 2012, 14:59 GMT

Relax guyz.. Sir WC Grace has just said on cricinfo that the team that starts rubbishly goes on to win the cup. So we are good. ;)

Scube
on September 20, 2012, 14:41 GMT

@Jindal on (September 20 2012, 10:15 AM GMT): You just mirrored my thoughts exactly! Despite his success, instead of Balaji's shockers, we might as well go with 8 batsmen! I'll be elated if he consistently proves me wrong! Also, with the kind of bowling non-attack we have, if 6 batsmen & 2 all-rounders can't score enough in 20 overs, we might as well wave the flag and return home gracefully! So, Bhajji should replace Rohit for the reminder of our WC, which might not be too lengthy!

drsarun81
on September 20, 2012, 14:15 GMT

come on guys ... don't bash our team..its always difficult to play against a new team which has got some raw talent..esp the opening bowlers zadrans.. its not that india played poorly against a bad team... lets give some credit to afghans..definitely afghans played some aggressive cricket and they have got nothing to lose..positive point about our batting is that after the poor start given by the openers both virat , yuvi and raina played smart, were not complacent and didn't threw their wicket and managed a decent score. i really dont know why in a t20 u need to pack wit 8 batsmen(including irfan, a good finisher) ... may be required once in 7 or 8 matches... a bowler can definitely be used in all the matches. drop rohit and bring bhajji in. that will give a better balance and more options to bowl in death overs..

on September 20, 2012, 13:50 GMT

well played afghanistan... their growth is unbelievable... i think ICC should give special attention towards them...

777aditya
on September 20, 2012, 13:38 GMT

Well, India just managed to survive a major scare. England might not to be as lucky as India. Afghanistan, with a bit of luck, is capable of springing a few surprises.

on September 20, 2012, 13:29 GMT

India team is my favorite team while Afghanistan team is my own country team. I want to say that the match was very interesting. From this match I have got great hopes that Afghnistan may beat England on only one condition that Afghan team improves its fielding side.

on September 20, 2012, 13:26 GMT

Some one suggested to bring in Dinda in place of Balaji. Balaji is bowling better than Zak. Also fields and throws better than Zak, especially from the deep. If you need a pacer for pacer, replace ZAHEER with Dinda. Against England, I would say, gamble Harbhajan in place of Zak. India can open the bowling with Irfan & Balaji. If one of them hit for runs in the 1st power-play, Dhoni can always throw the ball to Ashwin. Against England:the bowling unit could be Irfan, Balaji, Ashwin, Bhajji, & Yuvi. If any of them get hit all over the park, the standbys who can chip in are Sehwag (if he is not dropped), Raina, & Kohli

on September 20, 2012, 13:24 GMT

@ Nisala Fernando - Take away India's Test status ? Believe me if that happens, that will be the last day of Cricket !

kohli_life
on September 20, 2012, 13:11 GMT

LOL All i say is India can win this tournment. Afganisthan eventually defeated. No matter how close , game is decided by who win at the end. India won. Kohli looking best. Sehwag Gauti Dhoni Raina Yuvi coming to party. India all the way, strongest team in t20 WC!!!

Darsh.Dep
on September 20, 2012, 13:04 GMT

India really don't have the bowling attack to fight for the cup. We saw it against Pakistan and we saw it again yesterday. Indian pace attack get smacked everywhere, whats the point playing 3 seamers! I can see why Pathan is in the team (his batting can be useful) but he never gets to bat. Harbhajan should be back in!! Ashwin, Harbhajan and Zaheer can be useful with the bat at the end. Need to get rid of Pathan and Balagi...

Nampally
on September 20, 2012, 12:58 GMT

@jindal Priyank: You are absolutely right when you say the India is incapable of winning the World cup with the present bowling. If Dhoni is honest with himself & to the Indian Fans/supporters, he would admit first that Indian bowling needs to be totally replaced. ZAK & Balaji (who are called "Regular" bowlers by Dhoni) have been just attrocious & cannot justify their inclusion in XI. Going by IPL performance in 2012, Nehra, Munaf, Praveen, Vinay,RP Singh & Kulkarni are much better T-20 bowlers. Murali Kartik & Rahul Sharma are the 2 top spinners in T-20. None of them are even mentioned. Unless India has 4 T-20 bowlers with proven record, Dhoni is kidding himself & others.In my earlier comments I summarized all the shortcomings. However Bhaiji is past his best & his inclusion will not add anything. Sehwag is a better off spinner, if only Dhoni uses him. With wayward ZAK & Balaji,Dinda was not even tried! 3 All rounders, Yuvi, Ashwin & Irfan are much better bowlers than ZAK & Balaji.

sidh78
on September 20, 2012, 12:50 GMT

i think sl fans are feeling jeiesus about afgan team.because afgan give good fight indian team not like sl team which loose shamefully against india in like every matches in recent time.lost 4-1 one day series and loss two t-20 against india in their home.what a shame they can not win agaist india in there home.forgate the winning but can not give good fight like afgan team.all out agaist india on 116 & 120 runs in recent t20 matches in home condition.india should play series against afgan than sl so can we can watch good cricket.i bet that afgan play well agaist india than minnow sl

jb633
on September 20, 2012, 12:44 GMT

India looking pretty average once again.

Selassie-I
on September 20, 2012, 12:39 GMT

Great bowling performance from the Afgans, always really happy to see new teams doing well but these guys look like a good outfit already, if still a little green. Shame about the drops, we could have had a really tight finish there if not. Here's hoping they come at us the same way on Friday and we have another good game.

@rosh280: Are you really serious calling Ravinder Jadeja as great all rounder.
Hahahahahahahaha.

In this team India has far better all-rounder Irfan Pathan. He bats much better than Jadeja, and Jadeja's bawling is awful. Only thing is that Irfan does-not enjoy back-up from out captain. Otherwiese he is perfectly suitable for no-7 slot.
He need to used fully. And thanks god Shree shree Jadeja is not there. He has huge contribution in India's early exit in last 2 T-20 world cups.

tharindubultz
on September 20, 2012, 12:01 GMT

hw can these guys be the favourites with school level bowling attack??

on September 20, 2012, 11:53 GMT

India had 12th player on the field and that was Luck. anyways win is a win and congrats to them. but as an Afghan I feel we won not lost. to play with current ODI champions like this where people praise you then it is really a proud moment for us.

it says.. play the opponent in a way even if they win they will still proud of you performances.

I hope after this tournament Indian cricket team give us a chance to play them in ODI series so we get more experiences with all these players.

on September 20, 2012, 11:51 GMT

It was really a match which proved that Afghanistan is able to be the part of ICC they showed to Indian team that they can bean any some mistakes which happened gives Indian team a big chance otherwise I am sure there was a chance to stop the Indian team at 130 or 140 any how it is passed I announcing that all the ICC teams should be aware that Afghanistan team can beat any side in any condition in any place.

Sakthiivel
on September 20, 2012, 11:42 GMT

India won convincingly won against Srilanka in the warm up match. But struggled against Afghan that mean Srilankan team is weak than afghan.SL minnows.

S.Seshachalam
on September 20, 2012, 11:38 GMT

It is high time to sack non performers like Gambhir, Sehwag, Zaheer and Raina. Team selection is totally wrong. We can open the innings with Rahane and Rohit Sharma. Drop Raina and bring in Manoj Tiwary, who will add another variety to our spin department. Drop Zaheer and bring in Dinda. With these changes from next match onwards, there is going to be a huge difference in our performance. Dhoni should not waste time now by pleasing only his friends in the team!! Let the picked 15 be rotated properly as per form and not as per their star value!!!

superstar100
on September 20, 2012, 11:34 GMT

Stateside_Steve on (September 19 2012, 22:42 PM GMT)

YEs your comment is 100% right !!! i am reading every comment from below SRi Lankans would be more happy Lol

Dhanvanth
on September 20, 2012, 11:27 GMT

india's major problem seams to be death bowling!! if you take all other test playing nations, they have excellent death bowlers...aus( starc, cummins,etc), SA(steyn, morkel), eng( broad, finn), pak(umar gul), windies( fidel edwards, jerome taylor), NZ( southee, who showed his skills in the ipl4, bracewell) and india????!!! Zaheer khan doesnt seem to be very threating; irfan is too expensive in the death; dinda too is unimpressive; balaji bowls slowly...so india is surely in need of some fast bowlers...

Sinhabahu
on September 20, 2012, 11:26 GMT

Pathetic showing by India. They should've beaten Afghanistan easily but were made to struggle for it. Kohli is the only one carrying the team now, just like Tendulkar did for the past 20 years. If not for Kohli, India would be at a sub-Associate standard.

Bogelking
on September 20, 2012, 11:25 GMT

The match against Afghanistan rather than being a fact reminder that there is lot more to improve, has also been a rude awakening call. As some of the friends has put in that "If the team would have won easily, they would have been dragged to the web of complacency", is right to an extent. If such a stiff resistance from the affliated playing nation makes us sweat for the victory in this short format, the path towards the final that has to be staged at Colombo does not look to be promising. Men in Blue can progress to the final, if and only if they pulled up some splendid performance as they did in the inagural championship in South Africa. But it is too early to reach the conclusions in the outset of the tournament. All the teams participating have an equal chance to grab the Cup. So let us expect some nerve racking matches in the forthcoming days. My best wishes to Team India. Chak de India!!!!!!

KK_Cricket
on September 20, 2012, 11:22 GMT

Not really happy with the format of this World Cup.. Smaller teams like Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe get only 2 matches to showcase their skills.. It would have been better if teams were divided into 2 groups with quarters semis and finals format as it was in the WC 2011.. that would have made the things interesting and provided these small teams more time and opportunities.. Just 2 matches in 2 years against quality sides wont develop their game.. And the ICC should do away with ODI bi-lateral series format and should encourage triangular and series with 4 teams and provide these teams opportunities to play more and establish a connect with audience too...

chapathishot
on September 20, 2012, 11:21 GMT

The team selection for the World cup was horrible ,There were many by the out going selection committee headed by Chika .Some where made to look good by some luck and individual brilliance.Now there are many questions,Why piush chawla is in the team ? Why Zak was brought back when he should have been retained in India for England test.What Bhajji has done to earn a come back .I think Dhoni can make a difference by making some hard decisions ,other wise the same old story in 2009 and 2010 will repeat.

ComeIndiaNo1
on September 20, 2012, 11:21 GMT

I think afg bowlers did better than indians. There problem was fielding.

on September 20, 2012, 11:19 GMT

The math was well poised. A pretty close contest in the end as far as Afghanistan is concerned. india certainly showed that they were the better team on the day. Congratz! Good luck to both teams for the games to come against England!

superstar100
on September 20, 2012, 11:19 GMT

TWo Matches on same ground !!!! Is this right ??? Even in bangladesh we have seen more people coming there to watch matches of other teams !!!! Even in BPL lol !!!

sumit176
on September 20, 2012, 11:16 GMT

@mayan priyadarshan....sri lanka ranks 3 rd because they have lost 3 finals in 4 years at ICC tournament....rofl

praveen4honestremark
on September 20, 2012, 11:10 GMT

India will win 2012 T20 world cup.

Cool_Prith
on September 20, 2012, 10:57 GMT

I think this was much needed for India , had India would have won this easily ....that would have brought some amount of complacency , now that the team is bit rattled by so called minnows ...India can look back and gear up for the big matches...

I am sure it will come back tough on England ..Go India Go.......

Hermant
on September 20, 2012, 10:57 GMT

BCCI is the richest cricket club in the world, with a millions fans backup, they can effort to have each special coach per our front line bowlers. Then you can see how strong our team are.

Sallu_bhai
on September 20, 2012, 10:54 GMT

Heey Colombo SL:We have seen enough fast bowlers from you.Mallinga was smacked for the worst economy in the game.Ur Mystery spinner Mendis was unknown after the trashings from India.Now he is back with bang against Zimbabe.But plz note We will send him back with bang for another 1 or 2 years.And do you term these as your world class bowlers??Ha haa Haa

colombo_SL
on September 20, 2012, 10:54 GMT

@Jasonpete; I know bro there should be classical arguments here with us as neighbors. We should be good friends for ever. We should have the back_bone to appreciate good things & provide good feed backs, irrespective of nature. We never pray your defeat yesterday. We never celebrate your defeats. We like to see you make your presence at finals. Wish all the best for your team & rest who are competing here. I FEEL, ULTIMATELY, HUMAN BEING SHOULD BE THE WINNER!

Third_Gear
on September 20, 2012, 10:42 GMT

colombo_SL@ Man I know very well about you. You are an Indian bloke but pretending to be Srilankan.Ha Ha ha aaa..Funny funny....ha ha ha...

alikhan224
on September 20, 2012, 10:38 GMT

@Nervewrecker..dude isnt it enough that we beat u...leave other teams and talk about ur team and ours.

Swarancool
on September 20, 2012, 10:33 GMT

@binojusjp well said i gree with you...i'm an indian

vel86
on September 20, 2012, 10:31 GMT

Gud fight by afgans!!!! Hats off them.. yesterday is the gud day for India.. They got ecaped from a defeat!! Indians took afgans easily!! but they showed a tough to india!! plz play aggressively against eng!! Virat performance is gud!!! Ashwin & yuvi bowled well!!!

on September 20, 2012, 10:23 GMT

Gauti and Viru's form is also a matter of concern for Dhoni. If they don't provide good start to India and lose their wickets early, pressure will always be on Kohli and Yuvi to stabalize the innings and at the same time keep run-rate around 7.

on September 20, 2012, 10:15 GMT

I really don't see India lifting the Cup with this bowling attack. Yes - Yuvraj's comeback is a big boost as he somewhat resolves the problem of 5th bowler but our strike bowlers especially Zaheer is completely out of touch. Irfan perfroms occasionally and Balaji just looks hopeless, though he perfromed decently against Afg but against quality batsmen he will be hammered with this kind of speed. Only Ashwin is looking good. Having said that it's really worth making Rohit sit out and take Bhajji in. And replace Balaji with Dinda. Then our bowling unit would be quite decent - Ashwin, ZaK, Irfan, Bhajji, Dinda and Yuvi. To make up for 7th batsman I think - Ashwin, Irfan and Bhajji are good options - they all can hold bat and hit ball hard when needed.

Samee6345
on September 20, 2012, 10:10 GMT

great bowling but fielding was worst! i would say Afghanistan was just there to win but its experience which they need in international cricket. Their batting was good enough but dropping catches was the biggest issue. i dont think so they can win against England, if they do, they will be lucky. For India, i would say lot of chances and time is given to Sehwag, Gambhir, Irfan, Balaji and Zaheer infact Harbajan. These guys were playing 5 years before and still playing. India is a large country not producing new talent?? doubt!!

colombo_SL
on September 20, 2012, 10:05 GMT

I think, Shewag's form is a big concern for India. I like to see find good touch in next mach. There batting is heavily rely on Virat Kholi, these days. Kholi has been a maturity & promising young prospect. Openers should find the form before the super eight stage & it'll be huge threat to opponents. According to my opinion, Zaheer should be included in the team, because his experience may play a vital role when when big guns are met. What happens to his death over yorkers?

venky_88
on September 20, 2012, 10:03 GMT

Ofcourse Afganistan has put some pressure on India with beautiful bowling..Great Job team.... but its important to contain till the end...Come on Team India

venky_88
on September 20, 2012, 10:01 GMT

India is gonna WIN and return home as Champions... All the best MSD and team!!

Late-Cut
on September 20, 2012, 9:58 GMT

Just imagine, If India struggled that much against Afgan raw talents, what would happen when they face against English young bloods. I don't know if anybody remembers how Buttler 'n Kieswetter lauched a barrage of fire against mighty South Africa. If they had the guts to go after Morkel,Peterson or any other , then God Bless Zaheer 'n the clan.

All_IS_WELL
on September 20, 2012, 9:41 GMT

finally asad rauf saved india

Nutcutlet
on September 20, 2012, 9:35 GMT

The Afghanistan story is one of the most amazing and heart-warming sagas of modern cricketing history. That they have come so far in a few years with almost no facilities almost defies reason. And there is enough raw talent & character in the team to think that, given further support & specialist fielding coaching, they will be able to cause an upset or two before very long. Let's be honest, Dhoni had moments in this game when he wondered whether his collection of wealthy stars was going to be seriously embarrassed by this whole-hearted & fearless Afghani team. England will not take them lightly tomorrow; India almost made that mistake.

baryalaiAzizi
on September 20, 2012, 9:34 GMT

some 10 years ago, cricket no one even known about that there is a game named cricket and this is a truth, and now we see that mashllah Our team is mutch better than some full member sides, spacially our bowling is way better than India, the only thing that we experiancing is lack of good management, and coaching, I would request ICC to dedicate a good coach to our team, Regarding the match against India, it was india good day and Afghanistan's bad day, otherwise our Afghan champions could have restrict India very easly, poor fielding and very bad empiring caused us the match, please guys once u may watch the game and see how simon, and Asad Raof, took wrong Desision, if Indians belive that they won by thier ability, we welcome them to an ODI, 3 games series and 2 T20 then we will show that how strong we are, and also requist ICC to shift some match against full members to Afghanistan and Irland to show that we are way match better than some full member teams

Thyagu5432
on September 20, 2012, 9:32 GMT

There is no reason to panic. In fact, I consider this a good sign for the Indian team. One shouldn't peak too soon. India struggled in the initial stages of ODI world cup last year only to comfortably beat all the teams in the later stage of the tournament. This situation will give India a chance to iron out rough edges, draw up plans for different teams, form the winning 11 as they move on. If only they win all these matches easily, they wont even sit and analyze only to figure out that there is something wrong in their team after they have been knocked out. So this is actually bad omen for other teams.

jasonpete
on September 20, 2012, 9:30 GMT

@colombo-SL, can you please advice your fellow lankan fans who started the theory of club bowlers and other stuff? There are few SL fans who post nasty comments like few Indians do.when your team loses 9 out of 10 times against India and your fans call these Indian team minnows? I Dnt understand and look at your fellow lankans comments here .Only one word is jealous or sour grapes due to the reason that Lanka losing matches to India recently.Anyway afghan played a good cricket when you compare srilanka last two matches against India.Appreciate your kind response along with sinhaya.

Fast_Track_Bully
on September 20, 2012, 9:23 GMT

funny. SL fans poking Indians. Does they forgot what happened last month?!

champ777
on September 20, 2012, 9:16 GMT

PEACE MY dear Indian and Srilankan Fans... Why are we fighting like this!!!
Both indian and SL Players are friendly( you can see in IPL and intl level), cricket Boards are friendly (BCCI accepting lot of SL tours just to help them finalnacilly)..We are neighbours, as an indian i always support SL after india.

on September 20, 2012, 9:16 GMT

Afhanis lost due to their poor fielding,bowling was awesome

Pissu11
on September 20, 2012, 9:14 GMT

23 runs margin is a good enough margin to win in T20. Afgans will be good team in these conditions but i do not see in any case they have threatend India. India is a force to rekon in sub continent . All who are taking abt drop catches should also see that how deep IND bat.If afgan have taken their chances then also it wont have make any diffrence to the result. Go Ind Go

ashani_sl
on September 20, 2012, 9:13 GMT

mohammed mohammed............we like Nakoula better!

Sakthiivel
on September 20, 2012, 9:13 GMT

@ Lions_Roar : Just a week back Afghan team thrashed SL A and got 209 run in t20 warm up match. You worry about ur bowlers.

on September 20, 2012, 9:13 GMT

The ICC should take away India's test status or maybe let them play on in India & SL, since they are competitive only in those 2 countries. But judging by the way India performed against the Afghans, I think the change of pitches in SL is making it difficult for the Indians to play even in SL. Now let's see if India can 'upset' a KP-less English team in the next match.

on September 20, 2012, 9:10 GMT

I think That India was Just enough lucky, other wise the result was against them and Afghan Tigers would won the result, however Afghanistan have not lost the game but lost the result.

Sakthiivel
on September 20, 2012, 9:09 GMT

Normally SL fans celebrate when india lose. But still they thought that India lost yesterday. so kind info No national festival yet for SL fans.

kamranmalik7
on September 20, 2012, 9:05 GMT

Well played India. And good fight from Afghan guys. I think the difference was "Experience". It was nice to see Virat kohli scoring in every game for the last several years. Still waiting for sehwag to score more.......... Dhoni has also shown his brilliance. Afghan team need to work on their fielding, their bowling was superb and they have all the credentials to beat any team.

ashani_sl
on September 20, 2012, 9:05 GMT

How dare people insult world pamous Sri Lanka cricket team? Sri Lanka cricket players have the best smile in the world. And Sri Lanka people have the best smile in the world also. Sri Lanka people are so priendly and lovable!

Rayind
on September 20, 2012, 9:03 GMT

R u guys seriously kidding...so many IFs n' BUTs...this was a fricking game....no IFs. It;s like my PAK friend always say, IF we have Imran Khan, Akram n Miandad, we would winall the match? If you don't know how to catch, then you suck. IFFFFFF.... SL, BAN or AFG have all the money, oppertunity n luxury they might dominate the whole world in cricket....Opps sorry to say ...they don't and it's not INDIA's fault. One game and the margin was 23 runs....not good enough for a 20/20...what u expected 180 vs 80 runs? Come on you asses AFG knows how to play international cricket and thats why ther are part of this tournament. Of course they are a sprited team like Ireland and kudos to them. Rather than crying your heart-out here, help your teams with oppertunities you think they are missing... if you can.....ELSE shut-up...whatch the games n ENJOY.

colombo_SL
on September 20, 2012, 9:00 GMT

NOTICE FROM SRI LANKA CRICKET;
SRI LANKA CRICKET HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED "Pappu_Bhai" as the "OFFICIAL JOKER OF THE WORLD TWENTY20, 2012." So allow him to make jokes all over the cricinfo & make you smile free of charge.

on September 20, 2012, 8:59 GMT

Many have argued for 5 bowlers. Where is the 5th bowler, worth playing, in the XI. We don't have enough good bowlers to field even FOUR in the playing XI, from the group chosen by the selectors for this T-20 World Cup! With the 2 openers in an "out of order" condition most of the time (with nobody having the courage to send them for "repairs"), we have effectively 4 batsmen, one WK-batsman & 4 bowlers -- in effect, NINE trying to do the job of ELEVEN... If the openers get back to "working condition", India can go far, in this tournament, even with "inadequately functioning" bowlers. Both openers have self-destructive DNA in them; fortunately, both have "self- repairing" capabilities too.

on September 20, 2012, 8:51 GMT

Afghanistan give India scare but run out of gas

on September 20, 2012, 8:51 GMT

what the hell is Zaheer doing... I think he is totally out of touch and needs a good spell to get his confidence back. Frankly speaking our batters had no idea what the pitch was behaving like... even Virat was finding the fielders. Hopefully our openers get their form back when the business end of the tournament starts. Still think Irfan should be used more with the bat... Rohi at number 7 is a complete waste.

on September 20, 2012, 8:45 GMT

Overall, catching was the only significant difference between the two teams. Had catching been comparable, perhaps India would have lost the match. Very good show from the Afghan team. If you give them enough opportunities to play against the top 6 or 8 cricketing nations, they would be a significant force in world cricket, in another five years time.

binojusjp
on September 20, 2012, 8:41 GMT

As a Sri Lankan fan I ask from all members here pls don't make comments by criticizing each other..Sports is one way to improve relationship among different nations..of course we all love our mother country very much..but others also have the same feeling..try to make some valuable comments to improve others knowledge also rather than criticizing each others..

dork29
on September 20, 2012, 8:39 GMT

I am unable to comprehend why people like rosh280 write these blogs, which make no sense whasoever. That said, there is certainly a need to take a good hard look at our "seniors". Sehwag, Zaheer and Gambhir. Virat is coming to the rescue a bit too often for my comfort. I shudder to think what will happen if he has to sit out for some reason. This concern is not just restricted to 20-20 - it is in all the formats. These guys are becoming liabilities!! When wek know our bowling is nothing to write home about, it is important that the batters step up and take responsibility. Sehwag, Sachin and Gambhir are sitting ducks for any opposition. Zaheer is finished too. So essentially we are playing with 3 bowlers and three batsmen and one keeper.If this is the situation in sub-continental conditions, in SA the match will get over in 2 days. Time for fresh blood.

manisacumen
on September 20, 2012, 8:28 GMT

Great escape from certain defeat. I anticipated such a scenario. Anyway, feel sorry for Afghans, but at the same time, it is a good thing that India won with some difficulty. This will wake them up. They will not be complacent. They will be facing the Eng team with confidence. I expect India to win. For the Afghans, i am mighty pleased at their performance. I have no doubts whatsoever about their talent. The aping of Dhoni helicopter shot was fantastic to watch. It has proved that it is definitely a unique shot and can come with practice. Dhoni is the pioneer or inventor. Time to name it 'Dhoni blimp' or something like that. Afghans can be expected to defeat us in future. They should play more matches against the top teams. Hope they qualify for the 2015 WC. Bad luck Afghans. You deserved to win yesterday. May be, India are destined to win the Cup. So you lost. If that is the case, then thanks. You will get your share of glory shortly. Don't despair. u can still win

matchfixerpkn
on September 20, 2012, 8:27 GMT

so sad..this is the only way srinakan fans celebrating for last 2 years.....whenefer other teams defeats or gives fight to indian they used to celbrate it as national festival..
y not ...they have not defeated india for last 2 years !!!

matchfixerpkn
on September 20, 2012, 8:22 GMT

well done afgan..
its eye opener for india..
every team is not weak as srilanka in world cricket....
its unfortunate that indian played and defeated weakest team in world srilanka in last 12 month in every match...that made indian player rusty..
now its turn to play agianst good teams...
remember every team is not weak as srilnaka..and there is no loose bowler like malinga in other team to give 15 /over..

matchfixerpkn
on September 20, 2012, 8:19 GMT

Chathura Kandegama...absolutely right..now i understood where srilanka stands..
indain defeated srilanka all over world in last 2 years with ease ..even in srilanka india crushed srilanka 6 out of 5 times..
hmm.good fight from afgan..so one can imagine how poor is srilanka team ..

VikksB
on September 20, 2012, 8:14 GMT

oh ho!! finally India won. But, for that matter, India has a history of taking game to last level, especially in case of Minnows. Afgan, No doubt, played very well, but again for that matter, as Kohli said, they've got nothing to loose, and India - Everything. They played this game with free mind, putting hard efforts, giving everythig, and India played with caution. One thing BCCI and Dhoni need to work on is Bowling options. This is the shortest format, and exit is quickest. Team is good or not, will see on Sunday with India v Eng. Chao!!! Vikks B

harshini1980
on September 20, 2012, 8:13 GMT

Bring on DRS and try just try to beat Nepal. I doubt it.

Kanwar-UK
on September 20, 2012, 8:06 GMT

Being a Pakistani Fan I would like to congratulate Afghanistan displaying a spirited match. I wish there would be some more support from the fielding side and also bit of better umpiring would have tested India. Any Way not far one day Afghanistan will be in the same world ranking. I hope ICC award Afghanistan one day and test ranking soon. As clearly Afghanistan is far better than Ireland, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

colombo_SL
on September 20, 2012, 8:02 GMT

My feelings on Present Indian Team; 1.Gautam (on his own day real headache) 2. Shewag (He is my hero/ lack of foot movement/ End of the world when he is firing) 3. Kohli (valuable asset any team would like to have/ Should take lessons from gentlemen like Dravid & Sachin) 4. Yuvraj Singh (Good example to show how to overcome difficulties of life, highly appreciate his never give up attitude) 5. Raina (Good cricketer/ have to do lot of things more for country) 6. Dhoni ( Captain cool/ I learnt how to manage stress) 7. Rohit ( Though Indian said No-hit, i think cool character & one day definitely take his momentum right) 8. Pathan ( Good all rounder though Dhoni don't like it) 9. Ashwin (partnership breaker) 10. Zaheer ( Not at his peak now, hope his experience play a vital role in next matches) 11. Balaji ( Seems to be good, its too early to tell)

on September 20, 2012, 7:57 GMT

I am totaly upset with the bowling selection and its filled with veterans.We are having more than 100 crores population. You should give chances to young fast bowlers grooming in. What is the point of selecting irfan pattan,balaji who is playing from decades for india with no dominance in world cricket. Instead i have given a chance i will select varun aaron, umesh yadav, Pragnan Ojha and Some Young Quicks.

Adeel9
on September 20, 2012, 7:56 GMT

@SriLankan fans, a 182 against zimbabwe is not an incredible feat. Afghan bowlers are far better than zimbabwe. It can be understood that you just can't beat India and thus hoping for other teams to do that. If India are minnows then you're worse because you haven't beaten the minnow team in ages.

on September 20, 2012, 7:49 GMT

What is the question on playing with 7 batsmen in 120 balls game. That means dhoni is feeling their batsmen Sehwag, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvaraj, Raina and himself is not capable of facing 120 balls.Problem is we can face this balls easily in any condition but we have to see who will effectively face this delieveries i mean in form batsmen should replace the order if some on not playing well !!!
Bowling is very week, Zaheer should be replaced with dinda and allow Piyush Chawla to come in place of fourth bowler. Bowlers should keep in mind and stick to basics because in this way we bowls any total is un-defended.

on September 20, 2012, 7:44 GMT

Afghanistan team show that we can fight,and afghanistan learned to much from this match,so i hope next time when afghanistan face to india,i hope and i beleived that Afghan will beat inda

Rayind
on September 20, 2012, 7:44 GMT

Guys! get a life...it's just a sport. We have these games almost once in every other day. Doesn't matter how good or bad your team is ...sometime you win n sometime you loose as all of them hv the potential to win a game any day...just what it takes on that day is for one bat's man and/or bowler to shine in a 20/20 format. The point should be ...r u having fun watching a gme...was the game exciting. IND, AFG game was exciting and fun...I had fun watching watching and thanks to GOD this was not an one sided game as expected. IND have the potential to do good...but they can't play perfect or win each n every game. Let the SL n' PAK fans to hv their share of fun...after all cricket is the only thing they can bitch abt......PEACE

on September 20, 2012, 7:44 GMT

srilanka ranked 3rd in t20 rankings,, india is way below 7th or something,

colombo_SL
on September 20, 2012, 7:43 GMT

@sachinawesome; Bro, we haven't said you are minnows. It's your guys (Pappu-Bhai & Narbavi are the person said that useless arguments) started commenting like that. Both indian & Sr Lankan fans are good friends. Don't care comments of jokers like Pappu-Bhai. They can't destroy healthy relationship between SL & Indians. We really know & appreciate that you are 2011WC champs. We also proud of that. Even we can enjoy the classical strokes of Great Master Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. We never put your boys down. Since Indians, this cricket world is so beautiful. Don't allow minnows like Narbavi, Pappu-Bhai to broken down our healthy relationships. By the way i'm 100% sure they (Pappu_Bhai, Narbavi) are not Indians.

Third_Gear
on September 20, 2012, 7:42 GMT

It was a very enjoyable tight match between two equal power of cricket. Good work by AFG and IND, keep your good things going.

sumit176
on September 20, 2012, 7:40 GMT

@akshay mongia...ovious answer,,sri lanka cant afford DRS cost

vkypak
on September 20, 2012, 7:39 GMT

LOLXXXX.........AT LAST I P L HEROES WON......VERY TIGHT MATCH, SO CALLED BATTING HEROES FAILED AGAINST AFGHANISTAN BOWLING ATTACK LOLXX, AND AGAIN LUCK IN FAVOR OF INDIA TOO MANY DROP CATCHES AND THROW WICKETS BY BATSMEN OF AFGHANISTAN ...... BUT WHEN TWO MINNOWS PLAY ONE HAS TO WIN SO CONGRATULATIONS INDIA U PLAY VERY GUD CRICKET ....VERY GUD MATCH LOL

kiruba200480
on September 20, 2012, 7:37 GMT

Dhoni is on defensive mode again to sent raina late in the order.i can't understand why balaji is include in the squad.
Below squad is the better one.
shewag,gambhir,raina,kholi,yuvaraj,dhoni,manoj tiwar,phatan,aswin,zaheer,harbhajan ---kholi shall be used as a third seamer.

but due to srikanth mistake we dont have the quality T20 players.original squad should be as follows
rahane,shewag,raina,kholi,yuvaraj,dhoni,yusuf pathan,irfan pathan,ashwin,zaheer,harbhajan singh

Nervewrecker
on September 20, 2012, 7:32 GMT

Seems like Sri Lankan and Pakistani fans are still licking their wounds from the 2011 Cricket world cup defeats against India and were desperately praying that the Afghans beats India. Sorry to say, your prayers haven't been answered this time. Afghans have won a place in many hearts. Sri Lankans and Pakistanis - you never will.

QingdaoXI
on September 20, 2012, 7:32 GMT

If India needs to baalnce the side its time to drop both not-in-form openers as they are just coming on the crease to show there presence in Batting order India should go with different batting order that will surprise the opponents: Like Kohli, Pathan, Raina, Rohit, Yuvraj, Tiwary, Dhoni, Bhajji, Ashwin, Dinda and Zaheer/Bala (But both are waste in team-poor fielding). India made mistake they should have Brought new bowling attack of Yadav, Aaroon, Awana and with allrounder Pathan. It would have definatley help us as most of the batsmen are not aware of them and Yadav, Aaroon and Awana's pace and yorkers would have surprise the opposition. I may say that now time has come that all three should get chance form now onwards to make a team for 2015 world cup as well as t-20 2014 and 2016. See Australia have brought Cummins and Starch who have just debuted within this year, but Dhoni doesnt show trust in our New bowlers he just want his personal relations to maintain.

on September 20, 2012, 7:28 GMT

When Sri Lanka plays against the minnows, this is what they do.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-world-twenty20-2012/engine/current/match/533272.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/asiacup/engine/match/335358.html

MENDIS TAKES 6.

WickyRoy.paklover
on September 20, 2012, 7:22 GMT

@dariuscorny,isn't ths enuff that afg(pak's B team) gave u a realy tuf time,if IFS N BUTS HAVE ANYTHNG TO DO WITH PAK WIN OVR AUS IN RECENT T20s series(ACCORDNG TO MANY INDIAN FANS) ,THEN DEFINITLY THEY HAVE THEIR ROLE TO PLAY IN DIS MATCH AS WEL.

Not the lack of skills but the lack of experience cost Afgan the match. Wel done Afgan !!!!!!! Its kinda rare to see such an enthusiasm on the field. So called world champs couldn't even face Afgan raw bowlers.All they did, was dancing around the wicket, unable to read the ball or hitting it the air. I'm sorry but I didn't see any world class batting or well, lets not talk about bowling. Shall we ?

Lions_Roar
on September 20, 2012, 7:16 GMT

See the difference.Even after India won the match they are complaining and pointing fingers at players.Learn from Sri Lankan fans how to tolerate in any circumstances.

PiyushD
on September 20, 2012, 7:16 GMT

Its amazing how people react, calling India minnows and Indian win over Afganistan an upset, just look at the interest this team generates, love or hate.Afganistan win against India would have been nothing but an upset however it did not happen, England or Afganistan its about players, bowlers bowling with dicipline and batsmen trying hard.There are weakness in this team and not many batsmen look convincing while playing their shots.Sehwag and GG at the top are making things worse, they are just out of form, may be rest one of them and try Ajinkya, Rohit to come before Yuvraj and Pathan needs to be used as an allrounder, there is no point in playing 7 batsmen, 5 bowlers might not help but then even 7th batsmen is getting wasted.

bcric12
on September 20, 2012, 7:14 GMT

the action of ashwin is questionable.

sachinisawesome
on September 20, 2012, 7:11 GMT

Shame on Bangla fans who are minnows even after playing for so long. They have played 63 test matches and won only 3. ICC could have given Test status to Afghanistan instead as they gave more fight to India than Sri Lanka.

DireworlfXI
on September 20, 2012, 7:08 GMT

Definitely feel that India's bowling is the weakest compared to all of of the previous T20 sides and it wasn't great in the last tournament either. I recall in 2007, Indian bowlers required bouncy pitches in South Africa to make a mark. RP Singh was very formidable then. Already they are aware that they will need to be posting huge totals when they bat first or brace themselves to chase huge totals when they bat second which can be quite debilitating. In some ways their problems are the inverse of that of Pakistan but I still feel that one can get away with a dodgy batting line up in a t20 match rather a dodgy bowling line up because you basically need one batter to fire. India needs a fifth bowler. This is not the 50 over world cup where part timers will get latitude. They will be carted.

Nmiduna
on September 20, 2012, 7:08 GMT

Great effort afghanisthan!..hope they'll get more chances n support to improve..ALL the best from Srl Lanka!

straightedge
on September 20, 2012, 7:07 GMT

Well done afghanistan they gave a good account of themselves and for India a lot of improvement to be made in every dept. can't just rely on one or two players each and every player should be given a role and he should perform or perish depending upon his performance

Baber_Baloch
on September 20, 2012, 7:07 GMT

Afghan lose just for their bad fielding....and no game plan for chasing like australian team.....yui got back match for India....every ball cat,n be a boundary....

matchfixerpkn
on September 20, 2012, 7:07 GMT

well played afgan..gave good fight to india...
when srilanka lost to indai more than 10 times withoiut giving any fight in cb sereis,asia cup,world cup and recent 5-1 defeat..
one can compare afagan above srilanka easliy..
time for strip lankan cricket status and give it to afgan.

Lions_Roar
on September 20, 2012, 7:07 GMT

dear indian fans dont try to find lapses /weakness of sri lankan team.focus on ur team.ur win is a marginal one against afganistan.wht all u were talking that we would be defeated by Zimbabwe but what was the result?S.L won with a huge gap and with a new world record.Pls give some advices to ur bowlers....

colombo_SL
on September 20, 2012, 7:06 GMT

@Pappu-Bhai, Have your so called single player won three awards in an ICC ceremony. We never like to include Sanga in your team. (i think you like for it eagerly). Have you ever produced a best umpire of the year yet. i think your people haven't even vote for him.

matchfixerpkn
on September 20, 2012, 7:05 GMT

well played afgan..
hmm. dear indian fans dnt blame srilank fans...they lost to indian in world cup final, tyrashing defeat in CB series, asia cup and recnet 6-1 defeat in srilankka home seires that also with ease..
so naturally now they know how poor srilankan team is ! even team like afgan can give good fight to india..but sri lanka lost to india in recent 10 matches withoiut any fight...
this is really a national sad day moment for lankans..

on September 20, 2012, 7:04 GMT

A torn, broken nation playing cricket at the international stage, that itself is victory for Afghanistan. Leave apart the amazing on-field performance, which was just fighting. I hope i could send a message across to the bosses at ICC, to include this wonderful team in more and more cricket. Winning, losing, or anything else is indifferent, the game cannot serve a greater cause, never ever. It could, actually, possibly, bring peace to the nation of Afghanistan...

gabrialgihan
on September 20, 2012, 7:02 GMT

T 20 is way different from the 50 over one,you won the t 20 world cup 5,6 years back doesn't men anything for this tournament.Have you checked the rankings were india stands?India have 746 points and rank 7,and ya srilanka not good even for street cricket???you know Ashish Nehra?you remember chamara Kapugedara?Last ball six?that's how you got out from the group stage last time..grow up

rsthbu
on September 20, 2012, 7:02 GMT

d tournament just got started, if there is no upset, wait for d super 8 round. Ind, SA, Pak, Aus will play each other in group 2 and SL, ENG, WI, NZ in group 1. Can't wait for ind vs Pak on 30th Sep

Romenevans
on September 20, 2012, 7:02 GMT

...............and that's why i love T20...Unlike Test and ODI cricket, T20 can be spread all over the world because any team can win against any team...T20 will definitely help cricket to globalize world wide just like Football. Long live T20! Yawwwwn at boring hopeless 5 days test cricket!

9ST9
on September 20, 2012, 7:01 GMT

@ bhrangi - CB Series? you mean the 2012 cb series where India failed to make it to the final?

Romenevans
on September 20, 2012, 6:53 GMT

Gambhir, Sehwag and Zaheer are the weak link in this team. They should be sent back home as soon as possible and then play Ganguly, Manjerekar and Harsha Bhogle instead of them.

on September 20, 2012, 6:51 GMT

@ just_chill_chill - worry about England game first mate....If you guys can cause a major upset of the century by defeating england, then we can talk about ind vs sl game!!! No one expected India winning against Afghanistan ...don't get carried away by a single win...Just chill mate

colombo_SL
on September 20, 2012, 6:43 GMT

@Pappu-Bhai; We never want to include our players in our team. You are a real fun provider. I think our players are more than enough for us. The abilities of our players are more than enough since they are selected within 21million people. Though you are boasting about you, your production is from approximately 1 billion. Even you can't find world class bowlers. Our performance are more than enough because your single village may have more people than us. (compare SL11/21million, IND11/1billion. Our productivity is the highest).

colombo_SL
on September 20, 2012, 6:43 GMT

@Pappu-Bhai; We never want to include our players in our team. You are a real fun provider. I think our players are more than enough for us. The abilities of our players are more than enough since they are selected within 21million people. Though you are boasting about you, your production is from approximately 1 billion. Even you can't find world class bowlers. Our performance are more than enough because your single village may have more people than us. (compare SL11/21million, IND11/1billion. Our productivity is the highest).

sachinisawesome
on September 20, 2012, 6:40 GMT

All the Srilankan fans If we are minnows then u r below us. It's amazing u r supporting Afghanistan to defeat us as u have not been able to do it for so many years now. Great to see Afghanistan giving more fight to India than Srilanka.

crikcool
on September 20, 2012, 6:33 GMT

Indian camp have to answer a lot of questions asked by themselves in their group match against an inexperienced team (but with a spirited heart).I should say with this bowling they aren't going anywhere beyond the quarter unless they sort out their problems before their next match. The bowling was really raw for a team with a world champion badge. I would say Zak was not 100% physically fit in that match and the team as a whole was rusty in their body language through out the game.In a way it was good to know your weakness before its too late so that you can just tackle all that and just start it over again in a new refreshing manner. Any way good luck indian team....RISE & SHINE

KumarEn
on September 20, 2012, 6:32 GMT

Now India can pack bags & go home, Afghanistan will do better in 20/20 WC

on September 20, 2012, 6:31 GMT

Oh i want to congratulate India... well played guys. Now take heart from this victory and beat England to cause the upset of century....well played you really played out of your skin to beat Afghanistan....

praveen4honestremark
on September 20, 2012, 6:28 GMT

@rosh280 on (September 20 2012, 03:27 AM GMT)..You made some valid points about how we should go ahead in strengthening bowling resources and also in batting. Yes, Indian batting was not excellent yesterday, but neither bad. It was good. Only thing we need to note is Afghan bowlers were too good and accurate so there were some 10 less runs scored. It was not a 180 run wicket. After Aus vs Ire match the pitch had wear and tear. Not so easy to make strokes. We could have bowled better yesterday. Main bowler Zaheer failing has become a curse for India. If not i feel our bowling is capable to get them out below 120. A victory margin of 40. Need to improve a lot though, but no need to get disappointed. Indians always start slowly and the guys who are playing in team are promising Individuals. We will see a better performance and fight from Team India.

on September 20, 2012, 6:23 GMT

my god!!! Upset of the tournament so far caused by poor fielding ( droped raina , kholi, yuvraj) and bad umpiring ....Shame that Afghanistan took this game easily and loose the grip on india....shame!!!!

on September 20, 2012, 6:23 GMT

One question I have been looking for as answers , hope some one answes--- I think DRS was compulsory in all ICC events right, regardless of what BCCI says, why it isn't so in ICC world T20 2012, any special reason?

kunalx
on September 20, 2012, 6:21 GMT

Dear Dhoni, this is too much. Your ego will cost you. You must do below changes or just forget winning this cup.

- Replace Zaheer with Dinda. Zaheer needs a family holiday.
- Take bhajji instead of Rohit. Rohit need couple of more warm up matches to get his form back
- Use the batting capability of Irfan, why you are sending rohit ahead of Irfan when there is only 4-5 balls left?
- You may replace Gambhir with Rahane for atleast England match
- Please send Irfan ahead of you, everybody knows that you can't hit at the right time. You waste so many balls that's why your S/R is below 110.
- Finally, stop experimenting. World t20 is not a stage for experiment, reserve all you experiment for IPL. From super 8 stage, every match will be a knock out match, one small mistake will cost you.

Follow these or follow road to India with empty hand.

ashekahmed
on September 20, 2012, 6:20 GMT

it was an upset as india won.afghanistan is far better team than india though india gets highest facilities and afghans get the lowest.shame on team india......better luck next time afghans.

ktk2020
on September 20, 2012, 6:18 GMT

T20 game is required special talent like test cricket , all cannot play T20 game , like Zaheer khan very good blower in other format of game , but he failed till now in T20 format of game ,hope our selector will look on this ,

Most of our player, who selected for this edition of T20 world cup is not having that special talent of T20 because of this our progress on this world cup is limited and short , we almost out this world cup yesterday only !!! we should have taken guts , like how we did first additional of world cup selecting new set of people for this T20 world cup , if we have done that we had really good chance to win this game , but not for this team

on September 20, 2012, 6:16 GMT

Well played India. Should preserve Zaheer for the test matches after the T20 world cup.

mathewjohn2176
on September 20, 2012, 6:14 GMT

Well played Afghanistan.You played a better cricket compared to srilankan team against this same India.Even you made more runs than them when you talk about srilanka getting all out for 116 and 120.And it's not surprise to get frustrated comments from lankan fans when their team perfoms like minnows against Indians.@mark2011, you know what's called luckywin ? When Zimbabwe dropped all dolly catches of lankan batsmen and they went on to score big runs later on.Luck plays only a small part ,unlike you are going to say srilanka will reach finals due to pure luck.Get over and move on from world cup loss .peace.

dariuscorny
on September 20, 2012, 6:11 GMT

@WickyRoy.paklover man just cut it...dont even talk about Pak batting,which looses a t20 with 94 runs,a team which fails to chase a target just above 100 cannot be compared with India's batting.if its the bowling which you are boasting for,culdnt contain India to chase 330 recently in a match similarly Indian batting somehow managed to get 160 yesterday,had it been Pak they wud hv crashed below 100,i think Pak bowling is overcooked,with Afridi struggling,and Razzaq no more a threat,tough time for Pak,better watch out for BD(as they came close to defeat you),and NZ

on September 20, 2012, 6:11 GMT

Afghanistan team is very talented.. They given India a great fight. If luck is thith you Afghanistan may win the match.... Good luck in next match.

Mollakhel
on September 20, 2012, 6:05 GMT

yes yes yes !
that is what i Expected from both teams both teams played very very great match
since it was Afghanistan 3rd match on international level we are proud of afghan Heroes they are reliant
we will be looking forward for Afghanistan cricket.
and please guys we are here for encouraging of cricket not for insulting any team

andrew27994
on September 20, 2012, 6:03 GMT

While I do agree that India's openers have not impressed for a while, somehow I just have this gut feeling that we may see the best of Sehwag in T20Is in this tournament. As for Gambhir he really looks like he's struggling so I think it would be advisable for India to replace him with Rohit at the opening slot and we could afford to experiment with a 5th bowler like Harbhajan against England if England beat Aghanistan. Also I feel this may do Rohit's confidence a world of good if he gets time to settle. But if Rohit isn't willing to open then he should swap positions with Kohli in the batting order.

on September 20, 2012, 6:01 GMT

Well with last match between India and Afghan... it was cleared that Indians are the scratchy winners and Afghanistan are an Respected loosers....For Dhoni men its blessing in disguise too as India too have a cratch start in 2003 and 2011 World cup but they went all the way in the end to be eventual runners up and champions respectively...........

PK_dilli
on September 20, 2012, 6:01 GMT

To all SL fans that India is so used to defeating Srilanka in India and SriLanka that they can beat you with Sachin, Sehwag and Yuvraaj bowling. India can chase and post 400 against you.

vpc80
on September 20, 2012, 6:01 GMT

Cannot figure out what Zaheer Khan is doing in the team..he should be selected only for tests,he simply did not have a clue yesterday,muck like the warm up game against Pakistan.Kris Srikanth will have a lot of answers to give once India crash out of this WC.

crick3tlov3r
on September 20, 2012, 5:54 GMT

Yeh Well Played AFG ... U played really Well ... You All have Hunger of Cricket which i see in u gayz ... Atleast U have a Fast bowler who can bowld 150 km/h plus ... India does,nt have since they have been playing international cricket ... i m Afraid

bhrangi
on September 20, 2012, 5:54 GMT

OMG !!!., India and its fans that much hurted Srilankand team and its fans., Ya if india lost to srilanka in WC finals, CB series, Asian cup, 4-1and 1-0(in home)., May be i would have hated SL like this., HEHEHEH., funny SL fans., trying to console themselves.,

Lakpj
on September 20, 2012, 5:52 GMT

To all the Indians you are hoping for an Indian WC win, you can surely if you improve your bowling, fielding and batting in the next games to come. lol...

on September 20, 2012, 5:49 GMT

Well! There is no comparison between Team India and young Afghanistan, Afghanistan just played their 3rd T20 International against full members, (India, South Africa), and they will get better as they get more exposure. We believe that catches wins matches and fielders that dropped catches wasn't that poor fielders and they will prove that in next match.
There was lake of betting techniques, rush in shot selection that also will improve with more exposure but they need a good coach, Kabir khan thanks' to all his efforts but he is always setting on the boundary just laughing, never seen him with a note book or diary and as I always said Afghan players need higher lever of coaching.
Captain Nawrooz Mangal: you need to correct you filed setting, fielders in circle were very deep to stop single and your made on and made of was to wide, it should be little a bit straight to stop the boundary.
Well played, Love you guy's, best of luck in next match.

Samar_Singh
on September 20, 2012, 5:47 GMT

Well played Afgans but the luck was with Dhoni as always.. That is the difference between other team and Dhoni .. Luck Luck and Luck..

on September 20, 2012, 5:47 GMT

The writing is on the wall
Indian team will have to come back to India via Europe or USA, as they usually do when they lose, unless Dhoni does following :
1. Dhoni has to change strategies of captaincy. He is too stereo typed and predictable. See Kholis, Gambhir's and Jayawardane's captaincy in IPL.
2.If Zak has to be there in team for some reason, he should bowl his full quota in the beginning or in the middle overs itself, and India should have 2 fast bowlers for the last 6 overs, maybe Dinda and Balaji/Pathan.
3. Have only Sehwag or Ghambir not both, preferably Sehwag, with Kholi going opening a la Devilliers, as there are only 20 overs, to bring in allrounder
4. Tell the team that they have only first 10 / 12 overs to score and not the last 10/12, and that any score canbe defended attitude be vanished.
5.Play Tiwari instead Raina often
6. Repent having brought Bhajji for RJadeja as the excuse for failing.
Never come in middle overs & muff it as against Pak
7.SEE THIS MAIl.

andrew27994
on September 20, 2012, 5:45 GMT

@Lets_Talk_Straight Yeah mate I totally agreee with you. Yuvraj should have been the MoM. That was a match turning performance for me.

on September 20, 2012, 5:43 GMT

@kayzum biggest upset U will see on the last match of the group.stage:)

andrew27994
on September 20, 2012, 5:41 GMT

Afghanistan may have fought very hard and bravely. But they were never really going to win this match even if the catches were taken because of India's long batting lineup. India would have still made around the same score because we have capable hitters like Pathan and Ashwin at the end.

But Afghanistan should realise that they have a reasonable chance against England as they are one of the major teams with probably the worst record in the subcontinent so far. So pressure is on England. Even with a strong squad, England will still be tested in these conditions.

I'm not saying that England should be underestimated. I still believe England can win this tournament but they will definitely find these conditions challenging, irrespective of the talent of their players.

on September 20, 2012, 5:38 GMT

Well played AFG. #Respect
Your progress is gonna be a major threat to Sl & Ban test status now lol.
Good Luck from Team India.

on September 20, 2012, 5:32 GMT

Thanks Everyone for supporting Afghanistan Team, We know that we need more practice more matches Vs Big teams, so then our team will be going and growing fast, We are happy for Afghanistan Team's performance, but they need to do more attention on Fielding and Batting line Partnerships.

on September 20, 2012, 5:31 GMT

it was afghanistan's bad luck, otherwise, Afghanistan looked stronger than India, bad Epiring caused US the much, Nowroz Mangal, and Shafiqullah, wrongly given out, this was Empires gift for US, and the next point, bad feilding, they might have restricted India at 120 to 130 bad, but over all they played well, we wish to have the match against England,

ILI_ANALYST
on September 20, 2012, 5:31 GMT

HEAVILY OR HEAVENLY DEPEND UPON KOHLI .SO WHAT ??HE PERFORMS WELL .WE INDIANS PROUD OF YOUNG HORSE(KOHLI)..DEPEND UPON KOHLI ..DEPEND UP KOHLI..WE ARE NOT DEPENDING UPON KEVIN PIETERSEN / MATTEW HAYDEN LOL..KOHLI MADE ONLY FIFTY RUNS BUT WHO MADE REMAINING 109 RUNS IF NOT KOHLI ,DHONI/ROHIT WILL MAKE FIFTY OR ELSE IRFAN WILL SCORE 30 ODD RUNS..FEEL SORRY FOR SRILANKAN FANS THAT MALINGA IS THRASHED ALL OVER THE ALL THE PARKS IN WORLD ..HA HA HA HA..IF AFGAN PLAYED WITH SRILANKA BY NOW THEY WILL BE OUT OF THE COMPETITION..INDIANS HAVE ABILITY TO WIN WITH FULL ELEVEN BATSMAN..YUVI IS ALWAYS OUR GOLDEN ARM...THANKS TO CRICINFO FOR LIVE STREAMING IN USA ..

kiruba200480
on September 20, 2012, 5:28 GMT

Yesterday s game reflect the defensive captaincy by dhoni.I can't understand why raina is sent later in the batter order as everybody knows he is the ideal T20 players.Balaji inclusion weakens the india s fielding and i can't understand why he is included in the team and i can't understand why harbhajan singh is left out.kholi should be used as a third seamer.Batting order should be as follows.
shewag,gambhir,raina,kholi,yuvaraj,dhoni,manoj tiwari,pathan,ashwin,harbhajan,zaheer.
Its bad to have the players like dhoni getting the chance of playing only 2 overs.
tiwary shall be used as a leg spinner as he had done well in SL during ODI series.

aranga
on September 20, 2012, 5:25 GMT

@just_chill_chill Sri Lanka how ever won the match against test nation Zimbabwe. But what happen to your mighty India, just manage to won the match against Afghanistan. No point of talking my dear..... Just chill. :)

ManoharVikram
on September 20, 2012, 5:24 GMT

Going over the comments it appears that the losers from our vassal state down in the Indian Ocean haven't yet gotten over the 4-1 thrashing and subsequent chastising in T20s they received in their own backyard. It's alright guys, you lost to a much stronger team than you. Don't feel so bad. We'll send our under 19 team the next time to play against your national team so you can at least try win over them and feel good.

ashani_sl
on September 20, 2012, 5:24 GMT

The match played yesterday was a close game IMO. India were at least 30 runs short. And it is about time India throw away thrash like zaheer khan. Is he still in the team because of his religion? Time for Indians to to demand that useless deadweights like zaheer khan are shown the door. As Sri Lankan supporters we too do not like to see so many of them on the field.

ashani_sl
on September 20, 2012, 5:20 GMT

All p(f)oreigners must note the beautiful smile of Sri Lankan people. Our smile is the best in the world.

sumit176
on September 20, 2012, 5:16 GMT

lol...two matches on same ground,,,no wonder slc is bankrupt

Siva-The-Human
on September 20, 2012, 5:11 GMT

@mark2011 I appreciate of your patrioatism haa ahaa haa. becuase still your SL team struggling againt India to win test, odi in indai and also your home place, still not win any single test in England, Australia and not a win any single series at foreign soil but you told your team best in the world. Againt I appreciate your patriotism ha ha aha ahaa.

on September 20, 2012, 5:11 GMT

Open with Pathan and get rid of Gambhir. Please Play Yuvraj as as bowling allrounder and play him at no 7. India's best opener in T20 Ajinkya Rahane is in India.Please fix where to bowl zaheer then play him. Looking at the pitches cant believe why Chawla and Galli spinner(on current form) Harbhajan selected ahead of Ozha. In Last match against srilanka Dinda took 4 wickets and dhoni forget him.In a match where 185 was not enough Gambhir made 16 balls for 10 runs. Think Dhoni and select the team

Joby_George
on September 20, 2012, 5:10 GMT

India always says they lack genuine all rounders. They should have tried Irfan bat up the order. he never waste the balls, should give him more batting that will boost up his confidence while bowling.

satish619chandar
on September 20, 2012, 5:04 GMT

@SachTLG : To be fair, "T20 is not real cricket" excuse is most used by the England and the Australian fans when they lose. You can refer the recent loses by England to SA and Australia to Pakistan. Whereas, the Indian fans rightly blamed Dhoni and poor bowling for the loss against NZ and Pakistanis.

Desihungama
on September 20, 2012, 5:03 GMT

Hey, Both teams, Great show. Congrats India on the win. Very well done Afghanistan. From Paks supporter.

victory9012
on September 20, 2012, 5:03 GMT

Atleast SL scored 182 against ZIM....INDIA even cant get 160 against newest team AFG.But some says ,SL can put records against such a team...Question is....Can present IND team atleast even do that?

on September 20, 2012, 5:03 GMT

@Nanditha you lose to India anyways! how come you forget I am surprised, Kenya .... huh yes you are right they might challenge us better than you stupid Lankan team will ever do that!!! lol

Joby_George
on September 20, 2012, 5:01 GMT

Thanks to Afgans dropped catches or this might have been a first round exit for men in blue. There is only one genuine bowler in indian team, Ashwin. Better to go with 8 or 9 batsman because, i don't see any difference between par time bowlers and these regular bowlers. Pathetic to see Zaheer khan.

on September 20, 2012, 4:59 GMT

@SachTLG nahhh its just your jealousy that is saying that, and no need to come India, Lankans stink!!

on September 20, 2012, 4:56 GMT

if indian atmosphere is provided to afg players in which thy practise and the facilities wich indian plyers have provide to afg player then see the results. afg plyers are geting practice in the shower of blods so how thy can defet the champian how ever love u afg and u are the wners we jst lose the result not match.

colombo_SL
on September 20, 2012, 4:56 GMT

I really impressed with Afghan's performance. We are very lucky to see such a spirited team. I feel, catches & inexperience cost the match for them. I love style of Afghan cricket. They have a long way to gooo. Im sure, they will become top team of Asia, later. Good luck for next game.

Pappu_bhai
on September 20, 2012, 4:53 GMT

I think SL team is overrated.Which player in current SL side can enter into Indian Playing 11 if he was an Indian Player?

I dont believe anybody from current team can do that.Still they show they are the best.How many tournaments have they won?

India atleast have won some cups and are with us?What you have?Atleast plz try to win some tournaments before commenting others.

colombo_SL
on September 20, 2012, 4:52 GMT

Good win for India. Congratulation. In this game Afghan had nothing to loose, but India had everything. It created much pressure on Indian. At the end they managed to handle pressure. Good win for them. But they were not their level best. Congratulation India, you have a long way to go.

on September 20, 2012, 4:49 GMT

Does Zaheer needs to be taught how to bowl after so many years of experience?? He has played so many matches in SL, he should know the pitch behaviour. Zaheer, Balaji, Dhoni,Gautam, Viru ,, dont have fast feets,,, Zaheer and Balaji were tired just after bowling 2 overs,, Even Raina looked exhausted,,, whats the matter???

on September 20, 2012, 4:46 GMT

Everybody is cursing Indian team, which is in fashion even amongst Indian supporters these days. However, I must say Afghan batsmen are really good and the next match between England and Afghan is likely to bring in major upset of the tournament. Well done India.

MotherLanka
on September 20, 2012, 4:43 GMT

This is really really an upset!!!!!!!!! How the indians won this match? Afg lost the game due to their mistakes of taking catches. If they didn't do that mistake definitely indian total will be minimum of 20 runs less what they finally achieved. If that was the case, Afgans would have definitely win. This game clearly showed what the indian team's level and certainly they are look like the other minnow teams or even at a lower level. Pathetic over-rated indian team fortunate to win the match!!!. MAY GOD BLESS YOU IN THE NEXT MATCH WITH ENGLAND.

Fast_Track_Bully
on September 20, 2012, 4:42 GMT

funny to see BD/Pak fans jumping over Afgans efforts! They forgot that they will got beaten when they play against Afgan. Well done afgan, you are far more better than the other so called lions in Asia.

Tysonlanka
on September 20, 2012, 4:39 GMT

Mr. Gungully you did not appreciate our Sri Lanka win with Zimbabwe 2 days ago. what kind of win is that Indian had over Afghanistan. If the Afghan boys did not play too many rash shots they could have easily cruise for a win.

Sector_Clear
on September 20, 2012, 4:38 GMT

I am an Indian Fan but thoroughly disappointed with their performance. Well played AFG, they seem much better at the International Stage than other Associate Members. I can only imagine what England will do to this "less than substandard" Indian Bowling attack !!

KISHDAM123456789
on September 20, 2012, 4:34 GMT

indian think tank should think to bring harbhajhan in place of zahher... and zaheer is not a t20 player........ he should re reserved for indian odi and test side... and zaheer's death bowling is very poor.........

on September 20, 2012, 4:32 GMT

LOL india always been slow starters if you remember wc 2011 we didn't played well in starting matches -___-

i am not here to give any explanation because my team will answer you all haters\m/

cricket_fan83
on September 20, 2012, 4:29 GMT

Hello All...especially to those who are unnecessarily targeting specific team for their personal satisfaction. Please use this forum for some contructive discussion rather than attacking each other at personal levels. Regarding this match why don't we appreciate the competitive cricket played. Why we always tag minnows to any team. 16 teams have been selected and all are equally potent. Also keep in mind this is T20 cricket which starts and ends in flash. I saw lots of Ifs and buts like if those catches not dropped, if it would have been SA instead of AFG etc. There are hell lot of examples where two major teams hve played and one of them lost because they dropped lot of catches or some decision did not go their way but at the end it is for that day only. This Afghan team has some spark but still a long way 2 go.. plz encourage them rather than talking only about Indian team. If there would hve been a 5 match series between AFG and any team then we could have judged in a better manner.

getsetgopk
on September 20, 2012, 4:25 GMT

@WickyRoy.paklover： Very interesting points there. I thought Afghanistan played very well and they had a very good chance of getting the total, Asad Rauof had a shocker of decision at a very crucial stage of the game but things happen. Afghans struggeled against spin bowling, they need to work on their technique against spinners and catching other than that they are FORCE to reckon with in T20's.

on September 20, 2012, 4:24 GMT

welldone afganistan...u play better than pak and sl..both are pathetic team in asia..

on September 20, 2012, 4:23 GMT

Well played Afgan, you are going to be a formidable team in the coming years i am sure. India was not bad i have to say but they were very careful, they want to avoid a situation similar to 2007 wc defeat against BD. Only bad performance from India was Zak actually he should not be in the team

prnthv
on September 20, 2012, 4:17 GMT

I dont know y these Sl, Eng and Aus ppl are so jelous of indian team...Yes, I agree that Indian team is not up to the mark yesterday.... If u consider 1983 WC, 2007 t20 world cup or 2011 WC they started their tournament with slow starts even with smaller teams but as the tournaments progresses they bacame more stronger n stronger and have won the cups.... Still i say INDIANS and PAKISTANs are the fav for this tournament. I bet u one of the two teams will lift this cup for sure.

Tysonlanka
on September 20, 2012, 4:15 GMT

It's point less to talk about Bangladesh here. It's India that put a terrible show yesterday, they could not counter the raw talent that Afghan boys produces last night at the T20. For some luck and prayers to the Indian Gods they managed to push for a win. The team did not look in great gear they looked rusty and did not have the spark... hope they can put a better show in their next match. Wake up boys

on September 20, 2012, 4:13 GMT

India won match..... Afgans won heart!!!!!!!!!!!!! See Indian fans themselves appreciate Afgans than commercial Indians.

Porky_PigTheToon
on September 20, 2012, 4:12 GMT

@ SachTLG - You are always welcome to India. :)

akbaassu
on September 20, 2012, 4:11 GMT

Pls remove Gambir , Sewhag and Zak out of the team.

on September 20, 2012, 4:11 GMT

The overall poor fielding caused us lose the match, let's be agree with the provision that Catches Loses Matches. Well played Afghanistan and congratulations to India for the win....We are improving our game but with only two games in an year you cannot gain much. We are much better then Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and therefore, the ICC should give us more chances to play with full members. It is the first time since 1919 when we defeated and trash Britain. Hopefully the history will be repeated.

Porky_PigTheToon
on September 20, 2012, 4:10 GMT

@ Nanditha - It seems you are new here ! India are World Champions in ODIs not T-20s. And our U-19 kids continued the legacy of their seniors by winning U-19 ODI WC that too on Fast and Bouncy pitches that too against Australia in their own backyard which your team can only dream of. Ouch ! That must have hurt. India are never a consistent t-20 team; One, this format doesn't allow a team to be consistent ; two, we don't have enough wicket-taking bowlers except Ashwin. Three, Despite all this we are beating Sri Lanka team in their own backyard simply shows how ordinary SL are. Aghfan are way better than SL. BCCI should cancel all their future tours to SL and invite Afghanistan to India.

cric_roch
on September 20, 2012, 4:09 GMT

It has become a habbit for few frustated guys to bring in India in every forum.Inferiority complex is the best word to describe this.
They are just trying to satisfy their ego.
India thrashed all big teams to win world cup just one year back.Winning and losing part of the game, no other proclaimed teams have won world championships in all formats in last 4 years , if one can show any such achievement by other team then show it rather than blabbering.
SA is the only team performing well in foreign conditions all other teams have struggled. India was whitewashed in ENG and AUS. But the same ENG was whitewashed by India, Pak and SL and lost to SA at home. AUS struggled against even Windies-B team, SL showed their true class in SA by scorng 34 in an inning. But still jealousy folks target india.
No team is dominating cricket these days.Every indian fan standing by a team with fantastic achievements. In last 4 years , india was number-1 in test for 2 years , WON ODI world up , WON T20 w

rockyyy
on September 20, 2012, 4:09 GMT

Afganisthan a lot better than srilanka and bangladesh!!! after sangakara's retirement from test cricket , srilankan's test status should be removed!

rosh280
on September 20, 2012, 4:08 GMT

if you need experienced fast bowlers your need to include ishant sharma, praveen kumar, sreesanth. they all are wicket taking economic bowlers

famousboy
on September 20, 2012, 4:07 GMT

Time have come now that we should look into the future. I thing Kohli should be made captain for t20 atleast and gautam gambhir for test matches. Dhoni is only good batsman in one day cricket and his stats are proving that he is not suitable for test and t20 cricket as his captaincy is pathetic to say the least.

on September 20, 2012, 4:06 GMT

Since when did putting up 150 odd runs and winning the match by a margin of 23 become a close match?! Would my srilankan friends explain? Anyone?! And just because they dropped catches of two batsman, doesn't mean there were just two batsman left. India lost 5 wickets and at the time kohli and raina were playing, they were 3 wickets down. People shouldn't talk like India were 9 wickets down when afgans dropped catches! Instead some fans should see their team playing. you can only win against a team which doesnt even know which way a ball turns. Play again real cricketers and you lose all the time. Way to go mate! ;)

on September 20, 2012, 4:05 GMT

Lot of work ahead of teamindia. Spirited dispaly shown by afghan. well played.any way win is a win. congrats teamindia

VivtheGreatest
on September 20, 2012, 4:03 GMT

Very ordinary performance from Team India, I seriously cant see us advancing much further if we play like this. Sehwag and Zaheer should make way for Rahane and Umesh and this obsession with playing 7 batsmen could cost us dearly. Does Dhoni think that 7 batsmen are going to be needed in 20 overs.Then that would mean that our batting is as weak as the bowling!!. Kudos to Afghanistan for a really spirited performance. They were done in by a combination of inexperience, atrocious fielding and a couple of dubious umpiring decisions.

praveen4honestremark
on September 20, 2012, 3:58 GMT

@rosh280 on (September 20 2012, 03:27 AM GMT)..You made some valid points about how we should go ahead in strengthening bowling resources and also in batting. Yes, Indian batting was not excellent yesterday, but neither bad. It was good. Only thing we need to note is Afghan bowlers were too good and accurate so there were some 10 less runs scored. It was not a 180 run wicket. After Aus vs Ire match the pitch had wear and tear. Not so easy to make strokes. We could have bowled better yesterday. Main bowler Zaheer failing has become a curse for India. If not i feel our bowling is capable to get them out below 120. A victory margin of 40. Need to improve a lot though, but no need to get disappointed. Indians always start slowly and the guys who are playing in team are promising Individuals. We will see a better performance and fight from India.Let's cheer for India :).

cric_roch
on September 20, 2012, 3:58 GMT

Afghan played well. But for some fans whose teams have been thrashed by india regularly ,this surely gives some reprieve. Enjoy guys atleast for few hours.
India thrashed all big teams to win world cup just one year back.Winning and losing part of the game, no other proclaimed teams have won two world championships in last 4 years , if can show any such achievement then show it.
SA is the only team performing well in foreign conditions all other teams have struggled. India was whitewashed in ENG and AUS. But the same ENG was whitewashed by India, Pak and SL and lost to SA at home. AUS struggled against even Windies-B team, SL was all for 34 runs in a test inning. But still jealousy folks target india.

Whatever you say , nobody is dominating cricket these days.
I am standing by a team with fantastic achievements. In last 4 years , india was number-1 in test , won ODI world up , won T20 world.
Pls bash india only after telling your teams credentials.

ajayrcs
on September 20, 2012, 3:55 GMT

Dropping catches cost Afg.

zorrotsongo
on September 20, 2012, 3:49 GMT

@ Gihan Abyratne: SL will be thrashed by SA at your own soil. ENG will be hammered by India in the hands of Viru........

on September 20, 2012, 3:49 GMT

I am an Indian but i think ashwin's Should be warned because he is pausing for too long before delivering the ball.he would have been hit for 6 on the ball on which nabi got out.i think it's against the spirit of the game.

on September 20, 2012, 3:45 GMT

For legalegle,U Mr why you r after Bangladesh.You should give thanks to GOD for not getting beaten by Afgan & analysis Ur own performance.

rosh280
on September 20, 2012, 3:44 GMT

i really feel india should play young fast bowler shami ahmed, pawan suyal. surya kumar yadav, jalaj s saxena.they all are alrounders. what about ravindra jadeja he is a great alrounderr. pinal shah, robinn bist, n aman ojha are great wicket keepers. we should replace dhoni with robin uttappa or any of the above wicket keepers.
why not sreesanth and varun aron or prashant parameswaran. bcci really has to look at these.i really feel bcci, srikant& company will look into these they will take action on these. murali vijay should be given more exposure enough has been given to gautam,virendar sehwag. robin utttappa or unmukt chand and murali vijay should open in 20-20. how can we keep aside a players who had hit more sixes in these format.

Quddus-Mamu
on September 20, 2012, 3:40 GMT

Afghanistan can't beat Bangladesh until they learn how to play spin. Bangladesh team has 6 quality spinners. Anyway, Afghanistan did really well against India.

RakeshDash
on September 20, 2012, 3:39 GMT

Great display by Afghans...Am even a bigger fan of yours now... :)..Kepp rocking boys

Htc-Android
on September 20, 2012, 3:38 GMT

@KEVINSL. that was a good one machan.

kayzun
on September 20, 2012, 3:29 GMT

biggest upset in T20 history...

rosh280
on September 20, 2012, 3:27 GMT

dhoni you ed to improve your performace. you waste a lot of bowl initially then only you click by the time you might have wasted a lot of balls. then a slip catch four or lucky fours. last minute only you play your typical shot. you earn run a ball runs. i really doubt your batting style and even virat kohli striking rate is also doubtful when robin uttappa and murali vijay can earn 25 balls 50. he takes most of the time 40 balls 50 runs. so he takes 15 more balls. 3 overs extraa.it is not oneday or test cricket. play man fast it is 20-20. we need fast run getters in india team. we dont have quality alrounders like robin singh, ajay jadeja. this gap we have to solve it.
any way it is doubtful. we have the mighty strong england team they are good at batting, fielding, bowling. this performance makes us doubt whether we could get atleast we should go behind ireland in the card.

Vikum72
on September 20, 2012, 3:25 GMT

@mtalhas. For your information, when SL got test status they have already competed in 2 ODI cricket world cups!

on September 20, 2012, 3:24 GMT

Oh! David almost stopped Goliath on it's tracks!! well done AFG! you successfully dented indian self esteem !!

on September 20, 2012, 3:22 GMT

Well played Afagan, now it's England turn to Trash Indians

fr600
on September 20, 2012, 3:20 GMT

The only difference between the teams today was that it was India's lucky day.

9ST9
on September 20, 2012, 3:17 GMT

just wondering... if India did crash out of this tournament would the majority of their fans say "T20 is not real cricket" and if they actually go on to win the tournament wouldn't they say "T20 is cricket of the future" ?

9ST9
on September 20, 2012, 3:14 GMT

Reading SOME Indian comments is funnier than reading the entire cartoon page of a newspaper. Gosh I'd love to visit that country some day and see what it is like :D

rosh280
on September 20, 2012, 3:12 GMT

it is really pathetic the indian performance is. It is again true that zaheer khan, guatam, virendar sehwag failed so badly. it is the time for replacement. everyone knows irfan pathan is an alrounder. he can open as well. so irfan pathan should o pen with muralli vijay. murali vijay, irfan, rohit sharma, yuvraj, suresh raina, dhonjii,
ravindra jadeja, jalaj s saxena, aswin, balaji, any really fast bowler who can take wicket in first 2 overs other than umesh yadav. varun aron, sree santh, ishant sharma, shami ahmed can be the good replacement. anyway afganisthan played well but i did nt feel there batting and bowling did nt have good standard. anyway they played well.

Legaleagle
on September 20, 2012, 3:12 GMT

Congrats team India!! I think Afghanistan is way ahead of Bangladesh in terms of their approach and talent. At this stage when Bangladesh was returned to cricket they were pathetic, and I am sorry to say that Bangladesh is still pathetic!!

9ST9
on September 20, 2012, 3:11 GMT

despite all the big talk for a moment at least a few indians would have soiled their blue pants... well done Afghanistan. Looking at the last 3 games the margin of victories by the 3 higher rated sides became less and less
SL vs ZIM 80+ , AUS vs IRE 7 Wkts, and now 23 runs, hopefully SA vs ZIM gets even closer, but i doubt it.

on September 20, 2012, 3:10 GMT

This Sl fans on espn comments r like home lady who dont have much work to do at home taking about other lady living arround him they r not commenting on cricket but they always commenting about what India is doing. i wud say please team India stop beating SL anywhere in the world then they will stop commenting on Indian hahahah

satish619chandar
on September 20, 2012, 3:10 GMT

First i thought we couldn't afford Balaji and Dinda in the same team but now, after all the T20 games and IPL, i am getting a feel that Zak is the misfit in the team. He is not having enough pace or variation for the format. Still, Zak is a bit lethal against the left handers and i would include him against teams with big number of lefties like SL. But against right handers dominated 11's, Dinda could come in for Zak as he has the extra pace to do something off the pitch. With the come back of Yuvi as the premier spinner, we could afford 7+4 combo to stay. On the other hand, Afghan's were just brilliant. Especially their ground fielding though they dropped many catches, they were very much spirited and did a wonderful job. With more experience, they are always going to improve. Good luck Afghans and Congrats to India on the win.

SimplySoms
on September 20, 2012, 3:09 GMT

I think Zaheer is not needed for this format. Bring some energy into fast bowling department. Last but not the least, Afghanisthan played more than expectations and proved that they can surprise any big team in this format.

WickyRoy.paklover
on September 20, 2012, 3:08 GMT

I think the idea of indian batng z way too much ovr.ratd by their fans,frankly speakng,pluckng kohli n raina(to some extent) would leave indian batng jst as gd as pak's while pak's bowlng z stil way betr than indians,so ind hav bowlng in d range of average n below average n batng btwen average n above average,nothng more than that.IT Z realy strange that ind's nationl t20 side z stil inconsistent inspite of havng majr domestic leagues been organizd there 4 quite a while now.BT IT Z QUITE OBVIOUS THAT THEY CAN MADE HUSEYS,KPs,ABs,STEYNs etc to play 4 them so they would have to b content with balajis,zahers n some fairly ordinary part timers.FOR AFGHANS! I dn't suport afg team at all bt they r obviously pak's B team and jst like one of regional or departmental teams of pak hence they carried that legacy of dropng catchs 4rm pak.lolz..the match btwen aus vs ire n sl vs zim were like d matchs btwen minnows vs big bros and ind vs afg was certainly nt one of them.

Nanditha
on September 20, 2012, 3:04 GMT

What a shame for India, (r they world champions? r they look like world champions.) Kenya is much better side than India. We lost fancy kenyan team instead of India.

Pappu_bhai
on September 20, 2012, 2:50 GMT

KevinSL:Can we replace Ravindra jadeja for Sangakara?As we need some experienced batsman on the bench to analyse our sides weakness.However he is not capable of getting into this Indian Team with his ability.

Atleast for you you have found an allrounder Ravindra Jadeja Who can bat and Bowl unlike Sanga.As he is in India he is not getting enough chances.Am sure he will do much better than sanga if you provide him oppurtunities.

MunafAhmed811
on September 20, 2012, 2:45 GMT

Most of hate comments are from SL fans who still are yet to recover from their thrashing od Worldcup final. Dont blame them. They have lost last few bilateral series both at home and in India by huge margins as well.So as something to cheer they usually resort to little packets of joy when India under performs.Afg played well but they had nothing to loose and everything to gain so they could afford to take chances galore and some of them clicked.In a 50 over game such technique would be 150 all out and chased easily by any team.For India it was a banana skin situation,where all to loose and nothing to gain scenario exists.Over last 5 years India has won T20,ODI Worldcup so their achievement is lot more than SL can even dream off. Also fear in minds of SL that India may win one more cup in SL makes their rational thinking bit blurred and they end up with comments hoping they will come true but knowing they wont and their worse nightmare will soon come true . Relax guys.

on September 20, 2012, 2:44 GMT

well played afghans, we knew this would happen, dhonis's 9 ball 18 made the difference, but please sl fans, sorry to say this, afghan gives more trouble to india than sl, so please sl fans, take care of your mediocre team and stop commenting about our team

mtalhas
on September 20, 2012, 2:43 GMT

Talent is one thing. You need to have maturity which comes along with experience. Sorry to say but this has not been the case with Bangladesh and Ireland who have been playing cricket but still lack maturity. Keeping aside all the hype, I beleive this would be the limit of Afghanistan that they would be a success in T20s and ODIs with a doubtful journey if not then towards test cricket. Anyways, best wishes for them.

on September 20, 2012, 2:33 GMT

India won no doiubt, but Dhoni and his team did have their anxious moments !!

peterss
on September 20, 2012, 2:30 GMT

Rahane & Kholi could open while Tiwary bats in the middle order. Sehwag & Gambhir should miss out. Dindia could be given a go in place of either Zak/Balaji depending on future performances. Sehwag & Gambhir are like deadwood in the team. (all 3 formats)

mtalhas
on September 20, 2012, 2:26 GMT

good to see the enthusiasm of afghanistan and i wish they prosper. but i doubt on their progress towards test. it is always easier to adjust from the longer format to shorter format but hard to say what would be the case vice versa when focus needs to be shifted from t20 to ODIs and then tests. these are the perils of t20 IMO. In the last 50 years, SL & PAK achieved test status bcz there was only test cricket at that time with no concept of short versions and therefore there entire focus was on how to play for 5 days. but these days the game (short formats with more element of commercialization) along with mind sets of affiliate nations is different. Just look at BAN what they are going through.

cooljack_143
on September 20, 2012, 2:22 GMT

IF's & DONT's dont work in International cricket.If catches were held,If batsmen wouldn't have played that shot...Who knows if catches would have held,MSD & Irfan,Ashwin would have come early and BLASTED Afghans out of the game.theres always a chance,considering that India bat deep.So please dont take this win away from India.However Zak & Gauti look RUSTY..They must be dropped &Tiwary,Dinda to be picked.Indian captain cant take chance at this point of tournment.Only a major win against ENG would boost teams morale.Aswin & Piyush also not a bad option,,why choose a player when he is ought to warm benches???? Lets see this Afghan spirit against ENG its too early to treat them as heros..They have poor fielding & cant play against top sides.Long way to go!!!

on September 20, 2012, 2:21 GMT

Well done Afghanistan for trying your heart out, but I see this as just a flash in the pan.Let them beat atleast a top side and not a minnow team like Srilanka(Just taking a dig at a couple of srilankan fans).For the moment let them enjoy the pleasure of playing with top teams on world stage, still a long way to go for test status.

DaCricketFan
on September 20, 2012, 2:21 GMT

Congratz India. You shown your maturity yesterday. That was a really good Cricket match to watch. Good luck for Afghanistan as well since they fought hard against India like a giant. End of the day, India won the game & which doesn't matter of what is the margin.The result is a win for India. All the best !!

on September 20, 2012, 2:19 GMT

This is not a comprehensive victory.Dropped catches made the difference at the end.by the way Indian bowling line up once again proved they not up to stand. sorry to say , I cant understand how these Indian bowlers bowl full tosses in the death overs. I dont think India can resist to England any more.

rohanblue
on September 20, 2012, 2:04 GMT

india didnt learn from the past mistakes , zaheer is not fit for t20 at all, umesh or aaron shouldve been in, and mr sehwag is never going to play with responsibility, nd gambhir is in no mode to score runs in t20 and test , we needed a young side like 2007 wc, nt this old guys in t20, v bad....

on September 20, 2012, 1:57 GMT

Sorry for chipping in late and was reading all the comments bottom up- First for the people who said this is the battle of minnows can try for laughter challenge shows.An ordinary day in office for India is good enough for the extra ordinary fight from Afgans.Wait till the big players step up and watch the fun.For the people Afghanistan played against a team of cash rich board, arrogant, champion bla bla bla - No one cares of all you cry babies and India did won the match.For all those who are talking about ifs and buts about catches - remember Rohit or Pathan or Dhoni coming a little early could have been a different ball game and India would have crossed 180 with ease - so chill out and vent your frustration some where else

passionatecricbug
on September 20, 2012, 1:55 GMT

lol! our pace bowlers used their pace deliveries as the stock delivery. Don't know why are we still not playing with Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Pankaj Singh? Even if we lose some matches with them they will atleast get a big platform. Kudos to Yuvi ! Glory to team India !

PEDESTRIAN
on September 20, 2012, 1:37 GMT

Loved Shahzad's helicopter shot

Siva-The-Human
on September 20, 2012, 1:33 GMT

congrats India. Iam a die hard Indian fan but I want to tell one truth "Afgan you played superbly". Nabi and shapoor bowled very well. They bowled good line lenght and sensibly especially shapoor. Great Afgan you have good future.

gitapat
on September 20, 2012, 1:25 GMT

Why is Dhoni playing 7 batsmen? Rohit Sharma should be replaced by Harbhajan.
India can ill-afford to play only 4 specialist bowlers against the regular teams.

ifrakurshid
on September 20, 2012, 1:13 GMT

BAD LUCK TO AFGHANS THAT THEY FAILED TO CASH THEIR CHANCES BY DISPLAYING POOR FIELDING AND GIVINGING EXTRAS UN-NECESSARY DUE INTERNATIONAL MATCH PRESSURE IF ONE MINUS 40 OR 30 RUNS FROM THE INDIAN TOTAL THE DELHI MEN WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT BY A SURPRISE. A TEAM WHICH CAN PERFORM WEL ONLY IN SHORTER VERSION THAT IS 20 OVERS CRICKET BY THE NEXT WORD CUP. THE COACHES LIKE RASHID LATIF AND KABIR KHAN NEEDS APPRECIATION EYE OPENER TO THE PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD FOR NOT TRUSTING THEIR OWN CRICKETERS FOR COACHING JUST BECAUSE THEY DO WANT TO PAY THEM THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET RATES. ITS ALSO SPEAK GOOD OF THE T20 GRASS ROOT STRUTURE OF PAKISTAN CRICKET.WEL DONE TEAM AFGANISTAN WITH ZAHEER UDDIN BABUR APPROACH THEY CAN CREATE HAVOC IN INTERNATIONAL CRICKET.A THREAT TO PAK AND INDIAN CRICKETERS IN NEAR FUTURE.

KEVINSL
on September 20, 2012, 1:12 GMT

I Think should declare a government holiday for celebrate this massive win.

mjee
on September 20, 2012, 1:09 GMT

What happened to all the PANDITs claiming SL vs ZIM was a clash of the minnows. India nearly got whipped by AFG...hahaha...if not for the two dropped catches from AFG - India would have struggled to get to 120!!!. To all the pandits - less talk and more action PLEASE!!! and please look at your own backyard before trying to clean up your neighbours backyard!!!

criclanka
on September 20, 2012, 0:56 GMT

so called world best batting line up is now heavily depend on kholi..remember in AUS,Asia cup now here in SL .now their bowling too looks very weak ...is this how India going to win the Cup...?????congrats to Afganistan by puting so called Wold champions in this awkward position.

on September 20, 2012, 0:51 GMT

Have u guys watched how Afghanistan played in t20 2010 ! Anyone with common since can see that they have greatly improved since then. Shapiro zadran is amazing bowler same goes with Hamid Hasan. One thing though afghanistan is missing is the mentality of the game, every game has it is own pressure, u guys say they nothing to lose but atlets or not like that they have a lot to lose, no one like to lose, so this puts them in great pressure. But cricket is anyone's game that is the beauty of the game. Bravo Afghanistan.

AMAZINGFAN
on September 20, 2012, 0:45 GMT

i wud say dhoni's 7-4 combination is justified simply because the openers are not doing their job which puts pressure on middle order and they need to contribute more so that middle order batsmen can play freely.i thought going with 5 bowlers is right option but after seeing gambhir and sehwag struggling against afghan bowlers it's good to have 7batsmen....yuvi needs to sore quickly and he needs to improve running between the wickets..except zak all the bowlers bowled well.good luck ind against eng.

Vikum72
on September 20, 2012, 0:44 GMT

Wow! India almost went in to labor beating Afghanistan. AFG must be demi-gods at least if they can do this to the Indian teem of Gods. Did someone say minnows? heck.. they can't even be mortals!

foursandsixes
on September 20, 2012, 0:35 GMT

India will peak at the right time - during the semis and finals just like WC 2011

Chris_P
on September 20, 2012, 0:33 GMT

Totally agree Meety, Zadran looked very impressive. It just shows the gulf between teams is much shorter in this format than any other, but India, to me anyway, never looked like they needed to step to the next gear & it showed a little in their fielding. But they are after bigger fish in this tournament, so well done for their clinical effort. I still think you guys are way too hard on your team.

on September 20, 2012, 0:31 GMT

Everyone knows India's bowling attack is one of the worst in any conditions but the most worrying part is that with the exception of Kohli even the batting has been struggling lately, had Afghanistan held their catches they'd almost surely have won this match.

nyc_missile
on September 20, 2012, 0:28 GMT

Whichever way you look at it,under Dhoni lately,team India is snatching defeats from a convincing position or winning them very very marginally.This is clear indicator that his touch has vanished and he's increasingly becoming stubborn,rigid&illogical in his decision making.He's been almost always been a pathetic selector when it comes to picking the XI which was sufficiently made up by either a bunch of in-form players or a slice of luck.Who on Earth will bench a bowler like Dinda who recently on the same pitches in SL picked up 4 for nothing in his latest T20.Instead we have a trundling and cold Balaji.And who with a sane mind will leave out Manoj Tiwary who's not just a bright young batsman but an electric fielder and continue with Gambhir/Sehwag who've been playing as if there's no tomorrow.And WTH is Zak doing in a T20? Do the selectors or Dhoni have an answer for these Q's?

Dark.Matter
on September 20, 2012, 0:22 GMT

Afghanistan is following the foot steps of Pakistan . Good bowling, poor fielding and bunch of power hitters who can just hit the ball hard. After all they have been trained in Pakistan so it is reflecting from their performance. Nabi was going good . but match was over when he got out. he should have waited for next over because next was balaji . he could smash him or zahir .

on September 19, 2012, 23:57 GMT

@splites: Don't get carried away with Test Cricket mate first Afghanistan like its top Associate counterpart Ireland need to win some ODI games against the full member nations. Also some teams especially BAN n ZIM are struggling bad at Test Cricket so what makes you think Afghanistan will achieve it? Test Cricket costs a lot of money to run and I don't think Afghanistan will provide at all any benefit in terms of revenue and entertainment for fans.

landl47
on September 19, 2012, 23:57 GMT

Afghanistan is the youngest side in the tournament (followed by Bangladesh and England), so this bodes well for the future. India never really looked like losing so no surprise there. A good game for both sides to kick off their tournaments.

soundtracks
on September 19, 2012, 23:56 GMT

comon!!!seriously first of all wonder where is Hamid Hassan who got greet record against south africa!! india!

i do like the captain ( mangal) as a person he seems nice,but he cant bate and why he let his parttimer to bowl while there are experienced bowler left with overs to go??

Faixxxxx
on September 19, 2012, 23:50 GMT

Hamid Hassan??????????????? where is he

splites
on September 19, 2012, 23:41 GMT

Great match it was. What I like about Afghanistan is that they don't play the way other Associate or Affiliate nations play or are expected to play. They had good preparation in the Caribbean and these guys are here to stay. India held their nerve and avoided what would have been the biggest sporting upset since Bolt lost to Blake at the Jamaician Olympic trials. I am in full support of Associate and Affiliate nations being included in the regular cricketing schedules against the Full Member teams. I look forward to the day Afghanistan is granted Associate and ultimately Full status. Test cricket maybe?

Meety
on September 19, 2012, 23:22 GMT

Really impressed with Zadran (love the name!). An Affiliate team with a good bowler who gets up to 150kph, is an asset that several Test Nations DO NOT have. Intrigued that Hamid did not play, IF he was fully fit, him & Zadran could of had India in even more strife. Just based on the opening games, I would say Afghanistan & Ireland are WAY better than Zimbabwe! India did JUST enuff to win.

on September 19, 2012, 23:21 GMT

8 batsmen scored nore than 10. Only 1, Yovraj, that too batting against a non-test side, scored at a SR under 100. Yuvraj HAS to bat behind Raina, Rohit & Dhoni and maybe even Pathan.

on September 19, 2012, 23:19 GMT

It was fun watching Afghanistan and India play.

on September 19, 2012, 23:15 GMT

Dude for all you idiots out there india still won the game if and buts do not work end of the day and india won this comfortably still....

rashid_abbasi
on September 19, 2012, 23:14 GMT

dear most of you saying if happened like this and like it seems to me a childish way but at the end India winner .But most of you are thinking that afghan will be very soon like others it cant be bcz lack of basic infrastructur . please dont be in hurry like bangladesh case . i think Ireland is much better then Afghanistan.

on September 19, 2012, 23:08 GMT

When Bangladesh started, they were worse than Afghanistan, despite fan following and playing facilities. Then under Shakib ul Hassan they beat all top teams until he was kicked out. It is a matter of time before Afghans get experience and start beating the top teams of the world. Just a matter of time.

on September 19, 2012, 23:04 GMT

Congr to indian team but the same time congrts to Afg cricket team. Afg team will be charming in the coming matches. wish all the best to AFg team.

Cpt.Meanster
on September 19, 2012, 22:51 GMT

@Quddus-Mamu: Hahaaha... India are almost certainly in the super 8s. If England manage to beat Afghanistan in the next game, then both India and England will progress to the next stage. I wouldn't say India had a poor game by any means but YES, their bowling is an immense worry, especially Zaheer Khan and his full tosses. :)

on September 19, 2012, 22:48 GMT

Well!Well! Afghanistan played good cricket against india....but something about match 1.23 runs still a big margin in t 20 matches...2.they got all out..3.most afghan players were playing unorthodox shots..no technique..nothing....if it would hv been 50 over game,then afghanistan might be all out till 25th over....3.afghan fielding was really funny...they dont know how to catch a ball...4.afghanistan is of minnow status,so they were hitting every ball any where they like,due to dat they were all out before 20 overs.........if they hv really played well,then they vl hv to play even better against england to reach super-8 stage.....

Cpt.Meanster
on September 19, 2012, 22:48 GMT

@Realfighters: If you mean in T20. then perhaps so. Because in this format, ANY team can win. India could have lost, and so can ANY team that faces associate nations in this competition. T20 format allows associate teams to express themselves and play 'no fear' cricket. This was exactly the intention of Afghanistan today. India too were aware how important this game is. The Indian team played with utmost respect towards Afghanistan. It was a wonderful occasion. Hopefully the ICC can provide more opportunities to Afghanistan in future.

Cpt.Meanster
on September 19, 2012, 22:43 GMT

Some stupid comments here regarding how 'poor' India were. Instead I would congratulate Afghanistan for playing well. Why try to put down India ? India played well but Afghanistan also played well. This game was NOT only about India. I am sure even England are gonna be challenged by this spirited Afghan team. I hope Afghanistan beats them. If England do manage to scrape by a win, it would be interesting to see the comments. Would the England team be criticised too ? Hmm...

Stateside_Steve
on September 19, 2012, 22:42 GMT

Thank goodness India won. Otherwise fans of other countries would be celebrating as if they won the T20 world cup.

Theavalanche
on September 19, 2012, 22:17 GMT

Remember India had slow start in WC2011 and then we won the world cup...this world cup will be ours.

Quddus-Mamu
on September 19, 2012, 21:50 GMT

With this kind of performance, team India should not expect to play super8.

saif4732
on September 19, 2012, 21:30 GMT

INDIAN BOWLING very funny.if afghan not lose wicket then afghan win easily how u compare india world champ .ipl .strong domestic ,and poor afghan fight in country .well done afghan u play very well

Realfighters
on September 19, 2012, 21:26 GMT

Seems like afghan and india team dont have much difference, only india plays plenty match and afghan plays a few. Afghan could have win this match if nabi was there or if they have more experience

Cpt.Meanster
on September 19, 2012, 21:23 GMT

@FOTO: What are you on about ? Don't even start talking about Bangladesh. We have to first wait and see whether the Bangladeshis can even get out of their group. Bangladesh are still a largely inconsistent team with no genuine pedigree in world events. First, let's talk about how Bangladesh can get to the super 8s before we even discuss whether they are better than India. Cheers.

Cpt.Meanster
on September 19, 2012, 21:21 GMT

@Raxa Abbas: You can be assured India will ONLY get better from here. Still their bowling is a major worry. Dhoni doesn't seem to realise and is persisting with 7 batsmen. Defies my logic for sure.

Cpt.Meanster
on September 19, 2012, 21:18 GMT

To all Afghanistan fans: THANK U for the good wishes and love. Yes India and Afghanistan are FRIENDS always !! Team India wishes Afghanistan well in the future. I pray to GOD for blessings to be bestowed upon Afghanistan. I also hope Afghanistan beat England. India played with respect against Afghanistan. In sport there will always be winners and losers. Sadly Afghanistan didn't make it today. But their time is not very far away. One day they will become a genuine cricket nation and provide immense pleasure to all their fans and well wishers. God bless !

Should give one more chance to Gambhir if he fails replace him with Rahane...or for favoritism, replace him with Rohit and ask Virat to open with Sehwag...Zak need to relax a bit...good support coming from Bala and Irfan...Bhajji and Ashwin will be good mix...plus if 1 goes expensive Raina, Yuvi and even Sehwag, Kohli can bowl...

Playing 7 Batsmen in Subcontinent is waste...absolute waste...

on September 19, 2012, 21:06 GMT

Afghan team is real fun to watch .Their intensity in batting and intent to challenge top teams should serve as lessons to meek quitters like our beloved neighbors SLanka :)

on September 19, 2012, 20:59 GMT

The Afghanistan potential was significant and great in this match, they did well wish this performance be a proof of their profession for ICC to gave a chance of playing more with Full Members to achieve the Test status ...

on September 19, 2012, 20:58 GMT

@Chathura Lakmal.. ya they did way better than the lankan cats..sorry lions ..:D

golgoal
on September 19, 2012, 20:51 GMT

@gabrialgihan T20 and ODI world champions are minnows? Your choker lankans are not good for street cricket even. Can't win abroad, can't win at home, can't win even in your dreams I am sure !!

SanjivAwesome
on September 19, 2012, 20:49 GMT

I loved the Afghan player's energy. As for India, I have long been posting that they drop Sehwag for recent-underperformance.

on September 19, 2012, 20:49 GMT

I was watching the match on ESPN, was smiling how Nasser Hussein and Ramiz Raja used all their education and wiles to try and imbibe their heart felt desire for India to lose this match without appearing to do so. Its going to be interesting to see how their home teams pan out - I can see the smoldering hearts if India wins the trophy ;-)

jerryman
on September 19, 2012, 20:43 GMT

about time for Zaheer to be rested, India never drop players ... and even gambhir is looking shaky .. Kohli and a few others are saving India .. they have to do lots of changes in their bowling attack as well . if they bowl like today with a classy team, they will be outplayed ... anyway good luck to all teams , I think the tournament is wide open.. bowlers to watch will be ajmal & mendis .. batsmen will be kohli, amla, allrounders will be matthews,kallis
Let the cricket begin

on September 19, 2012, 20:42 GMT

Great show by Afghans. They bowl realy well, but I am a touch disappointed eith batting nevertheless a good prfmnc all round. Few ifs n buts the it could have been an biiiiig upset. Well done afghan u won the hearts again

MakaveliDon
on September 19, 2012, 20:41 GMT

This websites credibility is really going down because of certain immature comments from fans of all teams. Please guys if you want to bash other teams and insult fans then you have chosen the wrong sport to follow, you will be better suited for Football because that's all the fans of the game seem to do..insult the opposition rather then focus on their own teams. You are forgetting Cricket is a game for gentlemen so please act like one rather then acting like a child. Other then that, I was really pleased to see the fighting spirit of Afghanistan and they have definetly earned my respect as a credible cricket team. On the other hand while India won this it was hardly convincing for a fan of the team like me, we have issues with our bowling attack and openers which really need to be addressed if we ever want to win this tournament!

on September 19, 2012, 20:38 GMT

very rusty start by india , dhoni said that we are playing 7 batsman to be fearless ,their was no fearlessness there ,i think we need to drop zak and get bhajji in .the choice of man of match was bizzare yuvi should have got it .Afganistan well played ,you won our hearts here in India .

Alexk400
on September 19, 2012, 20:37 GMT

India almost lost.India may have to pick a bowler instead of rohit sharma. But the bowlers selectors picked were horrible, Pathan , Balaji takes wicket only when batsman play desperate shots. Its easy to milk singles with some occasional big hit without taking any risks. Only bowler india have is ashwin. Khan is bowling without any steam. less to say about balaji and pathan is better. Indian selectors laid egg on this one. Poor selection of bowlers. We need bowlers who bowl at pressure situation. We need brainy smart bowlers even if they do not have speed. Pathan is kinda clueless , balaji well , his variations are ok in exibition games. I doubt india will go past semifinals.

sinchl
on September 19, 2012, 20:37 GMT

Indians have made major selection blunders for this world t20. Currently, Murli Kartik is the best spinner that could have worked under these conditions. Also, Parveen Kumar should have been selected. Indian bowling attack should have included ZKhan, PKumar, IPathan, RAshwin, and Murli Kartik. They should also have omitted Rohit Sharma from the line up because Pathan and Ashwin are good enough to compensate for inconsistent Sharma's batting. I don't believe if the current Indian team has fire power to do well in this tournament, unless Harbhajan and Balaji get injured and replaced by PK and Kartik.

on September 19, 2012, 20:36 GMT

ZINDA BAD AFGHANISTAN. VERY WILL PLAYED BY AFGHAN PLAYERS. AND I AM SAYING TO ALL AFGHAN FANS DON'T WORRY OR NEVER BE UPSEPT ABOUT AFGHAN CRICKET TEAM ITS THE BEST CRICKET TEAM IN THE WORLD. AND I WANA TELL YOU AFGHANISTAN WILL WIN FROM ENGLAND I AM SURE BECAUSE WE HAD A LITTLE PROBLEMS IN FIELDING BUT IN THE NEXT MATCH I AM SURE OUR PLAYER WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT. WELL DONE AFGHANISTAN = AND WE PROUD OF YOU

RaelMoon
on September 19, 2012, 20:32 GMT

now if only indians can improve there bowling......and fielding.......and batting...they could win this shop-opera easily.

ToTellUTheTruth
on September 19, 2012, 20:31 GMT

With this bowling, a knock out for India is not that far away.

dicky_boy
on September 19, 2012, 20:27 GMT

Dude @Mark2011 I can understand your pain losing to us in the world cup finals, but don't worry it will pass , and also losing 4-1 to us it will pass too, hang on dude , our team is just better , but love the way you are dealing with it :) cheers

on September 19, 2012, 20:26 GMT

The match between India and spirited Afghan boys are good. It was a good entertaining match. But the disgusting part was the cheer girls dance. Spoil the whole match interest.good India You have proven still you are the better 20twenty side.

ODamn
on September 19, 2012, 20:23 GMT

Full credit to Afganistan. Well played. India need to open with Kohli and rest one of the openers. Kholi is the man. Where is Praveen Kumar? Keep Zak for tests and get in new blood as he slowly becoming a liability like the opners.
I am predicting India vs WI final. Anyone to second that?

Yoker111
on September 19, 2012, 20:21 GMT

I'm so glad India did not humiliate themselves tonight..

naleerh
on September 19, 2012, 20:18 GMT

India could struggle with better teams if they continue like this

FOTO
on September 19, 2012, 20:17 GMT

To all afghani fans... Bangladesh is better then them by a long way...If we were to face them then it will be a walk in the park people. Remember, India has terrible fielding.

DaGameChanger
on September 19, 2012, 20:17 GMT

Thx Afghans good show..but as I have said..other team can win the hearts and spirits and India can keep their win and march towards another silverware...

ovzdatta151
on September 19, 2012, 20:16 GMT

Well played Afghanistan. Gambhir is making same mistake repeatedly and Zaheer has really lost his sting...

TRAM
on September 19, 2012, 20:15 GMT

With so many dropped catches and extras conceded India's score is really some 80ish. And they call this strong batting side. I think Dhoni KNOWS this is NOT strong batting lineup. Thats why he needs 7 batsmen + 2 also-batters in the team.

Prakmca
on September 19, 2012, 20:10 GMT

Zaheer Khan is NOT adding any value to indian team. He is another glorified player like Harbajan in the indian team. He never performs, still he will play in all the matches whenever he is fit. Part timers can be fill in those overs which Zaheer needs to bowl. Sometimes they will bowl economically than Zaheer.

Indian Selectors, Captain, Coach every one has to think abd review Zaheer's performance for the past few years.

on September 19, 2012, 20:10 GMT

:/ Dont know what will happen when india will face teams like pak , aus etc

jackthelad
on September 19, 2012, 20:06 GMT

'A vacant slip' - extremely humorous comment; India have shown that even their much-vaunted batting depth is rather fragile - they scraped a poor win against a team of amateurs, who naively gifted them close to 70 runs. Never forget that. They will win this competition if I and Geoffrey Boycott's grandmother form the only opposition. Sorry, that's how it is. Some of us have eyes.

withwateen
on September 19, 2012, 20:02 GMT

Bravo Afghanistan, its great to see this name glittering in the world of cricket instead of some other disastrous news . I have not doubt in saying that before the Shapoor Zadran's career ends after a few years the Team Afghan will be ahead of Zimbabwe/Ireland/Bangladesh at least in ICC' T20 rankings. Have my words folks, beware of Afghanistan!

on September 19, 2012, 20:02 GMT

d tournament just got started, if tr is no upset. wait for d super 8 round. Ind, SA, Pak, Aus will play each other in group 2 and SL, ENG, WI, NZ in group 1. Can't wait for ind vs Pak on 30th Sep

TRAM
on September 19, 2012, 20:01 GMT

We can clearly see how Dhoni is struggling to position Zak in the field. He wont try to stop the balls at boundary even some 10 yards from him! How can some one be in the team with zero batting and zero fielding?? Of course there are others who are nearly as pathetic but they are contributing somewhere at least little bit. Except big match winners such as B.S.Chandrasekhar or MMuralidharan or Styn, I wont give such privilege to any one. Mr. Dhoni, I already requested you to please pick the playing XI based only on fielding and current-form and suggested Zak, Sehwag, Gambhir and Harbajan be dropped. You kept 3 out of the 4. Just imagine how nice it would have been with Dinda, Tiwary, Chawla in place of the those 3 today. Apart from more bowling variety, you would have had better fielding side. *** Good fielders increase the spirit in the team. Bad fielders bring it down ****

OttawaRocks
on September 19, 2012, 20:01 GMT

Congrats Afghanistan on a well played match. That said, it was a typical performance of a minnow team playing above their level. Came close but couldn't pull it off. Good to see India through and they should be a bit better against England and much sharper during the knockout portion of the tourney.

on September 19, 2012, 20:01 GMT

d tournament just got started, if tr is no upset. wait for d super 8 round. Ind, SA, Pak, Aus will play each other in group 2 and SL, ENG, WI, NZ in group 1. Can't wait for ind vs Pak on 30th Sep

stickyspongywkt
on September 19, 2012, 19:59 GMT

Looks like the consensus so far has been drop to Zaheer and Gambhir. I cannot agree more. I also agree a Win is a Win no matter how ugly. Same was said about the India U-19 team WIN against Pakistan but we pulled our sleeves up and won against NZ and Aus. Agreed this is a diff game, diff players but the spirit is the same. I am ignoring childish comments from Lankan, Pakistani and B'Deshi fans.
May the luckiest team win.

ashuthesmartest
on September 19, 2012, 19:55 GMT

Dinda immediately needs 2 be called in place of Zak !!!!!!!!

Vibhanu
on September 19, 2012, 19:53 GMT

In conclusion....Indians, GIVE UP THE HOPE!!!!

on September 19, 2012, 19:48 GMT

Today afghanistan played wonderful cricket. for a while Doni was thinking that the match is going from his hand. Afghanistan team should play regular matches. They are grown as a competitive side for Test playing nations. My request from ICC is to give more chances to Afghan cricket team.

yusuf97
on September 19, 2012, 19:46 GMT

hey just cheer up, india has won!! no need to critisize anyone, its not easy out there in the ground... when a player scores he is the best and the other day he flops then he is the biggest libality for the team???? and regarding Dhoni's captancy he is a cricket specialist he knows betterthan u and me wat type of combination of players has to play and who have to play.

Electric_L0ser_Wacko
on September 19, 2012, 19:46 GMT

@ mark2011 - its not (ballers or bawlers) - its BOWLERS!!.. and more over our club level bowlers are far better than the street level bowlers that your team possess... i am surprised to see SL fans are still here after 4-1 & 1-0 drubbing they received last month by the same club level bowlers and failed to reach a score 300 in all those matches against the same bowlers!! and yet SL fans gloat over Mendis and Malinga - I guess they still have nightmares from the beating they received from VK and Co...:) :).. Time for some introspection and better look for some answers on how to atleast win a practice match against India!!!

on September 19, 2012, 19:45 GMT

To all Fan here from all over the world SALAM us an Afghan Fans I am really sad with what Afghan team played today you know why reason number :

1- If they could have catch these catches INDIA would not go over 135
2- 75 for 3 if they could have catch those catches it would have been 75 for 5
3- No catching Sarish and Koli made a partnership of 60 or 70 Rans
4- If they made those catches India would have go Under Pressure and they would have never be able to go over 135.

well it was a good game Congrats to Indian Team hopefully Afghan team can beat England and go to super eight
what do you all think Can Afghanistan team beat England or not ?

Glorizee
on September 19, 2012, 19:43 GMT

Experienced India finally managed a face-saving win against valiant and brave Afghan Khans, who are too strong to be called below competent, it was only their inexperience that let them down -- when they were almost home.

However, credit to India but with little than they should have deserved in the first place. Afghanistan is going to be Second Pakistan-like team [mark it] in its attitude of "mighty bowling and erratic but furious display of big bat." Also, India needs to work on its pacers for accuracy in order to arrest the runs they cost, and to tell them how to be more aggressive with being on the money, simultaneously. Good luck to India. Both teams played well and see how to go along in the showdowns to come!

jango_moh
on September 19, 2012, 19:42 GMT

well played afghanistan.... i think dhoni needs to be less stubborn about his 4 bowlers polciy, even tho yuvraj bowled well for a bit, its not sustainable esp if other bowlers hve a bad day.... not sure what 1 extra batsman would do that the 6 batsmen + irfan + ashwin cant do!!! makes no sense to play 7 frontline batsmen in a 20 over game esp if u hve guys in the tail who can bat!!!

gabrialgihan
on September 19, 2012, 19:42 GMT

well played team india a battle of minnows and india did hold their nerve for a thrilling finish..wow biggest upset of the tournament at the moment....

SarunSahadevan
on September 19, 2012, 19:41 GMT

Ajankya Rahane should have been in the world cup squad. He has performed well with the limited number of oppurtunities he had. India should have done a lot better but the Afghans are no push overs in the T20 format.

on September 19, 2012, 19:40 GMT

Hard luck Afghanistan. Just imagine what could have been if they kept their catches and more disciplined bowling.... Watch out England!

on September 19, 2012, 19:39 GMT

rare t20 win for india,, its good that they at-least getting a win against a poor team like afgan

nyc_missile
on September 19, 2012, 19:38 GMT

Zak should be packed off for Dinda;Gambhir should be dropped for Tiwary.If possible Balaji also should be dropped for Chawla,cannot be worse off.Enough of slow bowlers who bowl even slower variations.Sehwag for lack of a replacement(since the wise selectors only picked 8 batsmen for the tour) will probably continue despite his atrocious form.I am beginning to think of India of 90s when Sachin was the ONLY batsman and now Kohli taking his mantle.Wonder what happens if he fails.A tame,insipid and deflating win for India.By huffing and puffing for this win,they've given enough pointers that they simply cannot pass the elim stage.Dhoni as usual was pathetic in selection.What was Zak &Balaji doing after Pak match and y wasn't Dinda played? A word for Afghanistan.A fighting team,very capable pace bowling,they'll go a long way faster than their neighbors BD.

IndianROCKstars_2011_ODIchamps
on September 19, 2012, 19:37 GMT

People calling Indian victory shameful . What did u expect ? The whole thing can be argued in another way, the fearless way to go with the match obviously helped Afg play better because they took some blind chances and few went their way. India on the other hand, had to be careful to avoid getting embarrassed so took minimal chances and safe approach to decent but enough score. SL fans ---:You make it sound as if your team would have scored 300 against them and bowled them out for 25 runs. If it was not for spilled catches and runouts from Zimbabwe you would have score lot less urself.

on September 19, 2012, 19:37 GMT

better team won, india were slightly better than afgan

ac_Indian
on September 19, 2012, 19:36 GMT

Well played by Afghanistan. India badly need an in form Zaheer, even though T20 is not his favorite format I think what we need in short term is good performance from him in this world cup and for long term use him sparingly for T20 saving him for ODI's and Tests.

DaGameChanger
on September 19, 2012, 19:32 GMT

Close???..They lost by 23 runs..which in terms of Game was like 3 Overs with around 8 runs an over. Remember, Afghans had nothing to lose. Agreed Indians should have scored much more but some of the shots Afghans played were atrocious..but this is what T20 is..gives license to blind drivers..

hardik.ruparel
on September 19, 2012, 19:31 GMT

I have no clue what the hell is Sehwag is doing in the team. The only good thing about him is that people consider him fearsome. that's it. As soon as he comes to bat, commentators start shouting 'he is a dangerous player' . Well ya he is dangerous, but for the Indian team itself. He is the most hyped player, if there is one in this current Indian team. God knows when was the last time we counted on him & he delivered.

on September 19, 2012, 19:31 GMT

A few jitters in the England camp? I am not sure. India not looking too hot I think is a better summary of the day! Or are you suggesting that Afg are a force in world cricket now? .... Really?

on September 19, 2012, 19:28 GMT

Yes impressive performance by Afghanistan but still 3 of the 4 minnows so far have failed so a lot of people's predictions are starting to come true now. India though I think they have great players were below average which is of course by their standard unacceptable considering who the opposition was and play like that again, you can forget about the semi-finals let alone the final considering how tough your super 8 group is. So far, Australia and Sri Lanka are the stand-out teams.

on September 19, 2012, 19:27 GMT

I really appreciate the courage and mental strength showed today by the Afghans. The way they r improving they will be a top cricketing nation within next 5 years in ODI and t-20 format, both home and abroad. Also congrats Indian team for their first win. I think Mr. Dhoni used his bowlers really brilliantly and kept his head cool. It was a modest total to defend and India did it. Congrats to both teams for such a wonderful game of cricket. Good luck from Bangladesh...

street_smart
on September 19, 2012, 19:25 GMT

When we will realize that zaheer is not a t20 bowler. In this format you should drop players who are out of form or you will pay for it. Drop Sehwag, gambhir & zaheer. Pick Tiwary, Dinda & bhajji. Dhoni show some balls to take this harsh decision.

on September 19, 2012, 19:23 GMT

Afghanistan did well enough for such an inexperienced team. But the veteran Indian batsmen did not do themselves justice. They got easily rattled by the Afghan bowling, gave way too many catches. No doubt they had a lot more to lose, but if they start being affected by the pressure this soon, we have cause to worry.

on September 19, 2012, 19:22 GMT

The expectation from this Indian side isn't that great , if they can survive during the later stages of the tournament it's a real bonus , especially with this abysmal bowling unit .

on September 19, 2012, 19:20 GMT

Great job afghanistan.
I also really like the grace from all the afghani people who are commenting here.

SnowSnake
on September 19, 2012, 19:15 GMT

Poor performance by India. While they won, dropped catches by Afgans and Zaheer's poor bowling should be be put in the equation in analyzing India's win. Not a great win by India. It should have been easy. Shewag, Gambhir and Zaheer are looking like a liability than assets.

on September 19, 2012, 19:09 GMT

I believe India should replace ZAK with Dinda and Gambhir should be dropped.

Unmesh_cric
on September 19, 2012, 19:03 GMT

Well done Afghanistan! Keep it up and all the best against England. England camp must be feeling a few jitters right now.

recycle-bin-is-empty
on September 19, 2012, 19:03 GMT

Afghanistan played really well, i hope they would learn from the mistakes they committed especially in the fielding and will display a much more spirited performance in their next match. Good luck to them. Regarding India, openers are really a concern. Gambhir though unfortunately looking out of form, but he is a big match player. Remember he was the one who played the match winning innings in South Africa in 2007 T-20 WC finals and also last year in the WC final. He is an intense and responsible person and I know he will get his problems sorted out, just hoping he will get it soon. The other main worry is Sehwag though, he is very much becoming much much more inconsistent.

Gladkick
on September 19, 2012, 19:00 GMT

WELL WELL WELL, SORRY TO DISAPPOINT ALL THE SRI LANKAN FANS TODAY. WHATEVER HAPPENS, PLEASE REMEMBER, A WIN IS A WIN... EVERYONE WINS EVERYONE LOSES EVERYONE NEEDS LUCK... THATS THE GAME. NOW AS USUAL, YOU ALL BLAME THE LUCK FOR INDIA'S WIN. GROW UP FOLKS. AFGANISTAN PLAYED VERY WELL. WE WON. IT WAS A GOOD GAME.

dariuscorny
on September 19, 2012, 18:52 GMT

Zaheer should be benched for remaining matches as he is quite clearly becoming a liabilty,he neither can bowl nor can field.a blunder from Srikanth who made this selection.Dinda shud be tried ,he is a competitor and play Harbhajan in place of Sehwag/Ganbhir/Rohit to have 5 specialist bowlers and again no Zaheer in the playing 11

A_Vacant_Slip
on September 19, 2012, 18:50 GMT

Bravo India - score 159 and then restrict opposition to 136. Just a totally dazzling and completely awesome blitz by India to utterly and totally demolish.... Afghanistan.... Incredible to watch. Smart money must be on India now to roll up this competition and win it easily.

Plz_Dont_Get_Whitewashed
on September 19, 2012, 18:47 GMT

India looks like it's gonna win the World Twenty20 Cup 2012 !!

on September 19, 2012, 18:47 GMT

great fightback from afghans.......hope india will be tightened up after this game.

mannyr2k
on September 19, 2012, 18:44 GMT

rob_damn: Eat your words rob. Balaji was brilliant just over 5 an over. Zaheer and to some extent Irfan were the flop shows today. Viru and Gambhir need to get their touch back. I would prefer Rohit open with Sehwag and Gambhir be 1 down.

kc69
on September 19, 2012, 18:44 GMT

Not surprised to see many Sri Lankans commenting here.I believe Afghanistan are better than Sri Lanka because they fought well compared to Lanka who always loose badly to India.Can we now talk about the Toughest Group of tournament(Group D) Can't wait for BD Vs PAK.

on September 19, 2012, 18:40 GMT

Afgans are good...no doubt

Natesan333
on September 19, 2012, 18:39 GMT

The Afgans put up a great fight, but India is the better team, in many ways. Now that this is over, I can now support the Afgans against England.

yorkslanka
on September 19, 2012, 18:38 GMT

Congrats to India on the win( yes I am a SL fan) but also well done to Afghanistan who pushed India far.if they improve their fielding,they will do well and have certainly performed better than zim and ire have so far...they have done themselves credit and no one can ask more of them that..

on September 19, 2012, 18:35 GMT

Sehwag is out dated and needs to be dropped

MahboobGulestani
on September 19, 2012, 18:32 GMT

To: Young-tigers
Wait until India faces your team (Pakistan) in REAL GAME and see who is rubbish.
Afghanistan playing only since last 10 years coming to the world stage is not an easy job. They can beat teams like Ireland, Bangladesh, Kenya EASILY. You guys are next...;)

Dropped catches cost the match for the Afghan side, otherwise it could have been a close finish. But it is still early days for the Afghans and I hope they continue to do well. Cheers

Nampally
on September 19, 2012, 18:31 GMT

Thanks to the spinners Yuvraj & Ashwin, India are still unbeaten after their first game. It looked like spinner friendly wicket. Dhoni's refusal to let Sehwag bowl was irrational. Bedi called Sehwag the best off spinner in India even when Harbhajan was at his peak. Amongst the part timers, Sehwag is the best bowler, especially on a spin friendly wkt. Dhoni needs to understand this.Secondly Balaji bowled well for the first time albeit bit lucky by taking the last 2 guys in 2 successive balls. India's opening batsmen failed again. It is time to consider Mukund & Chand, who gave a good start for India A in NZ, yesterday. Lastly, ZAK has been consistently poor in the past few matches. With ZAK bowling so poorly, India is down to 3 "Regular bowlers". Luckily Yuvraj as the part-timer, was the trump card today to save Dhoni blushes.India's batting powerhouse could only muster 159 Vs. Minnows, even with dropped catches.Justifies swapping Rohit with leg spinner Rahul to boost India bowling !.

waheed
on September 19, 2012, 18:30 GMT

with in 2 3 years this Afghan side be the super power like srilanka

Well Played Afghans

Love from Pakistan

on September 19, 2012, 18:30 GMT

If Afghanistan had little luck in today's game especially the Bat and Pat out,of Shafiqullah, things would have been different for India. Anyway, over all it was a very good performance by Afghan team and as an Afghan I congratulate to Indian side.

on September 19, 2012, 18:29 GMT

Good lesson for India. Perhaps the best way to get off the blocks. I'm sure they will be more on the guard against England. India being stretched early on has happened before. I believe they just haven't got into their rhythm yet. As for Afghanistan, well played folks! You showed tremendous spirit, and didn't bow meekly to a vastly experienced team.

indiancricket_crazy
on September 19, 2012, 18:29 GMT

well played afghanistan.......all the best for ur match against england....u guys were really fantastic tonight....do well against england....from india

Stark62
on September 19, 2012, 18:28 GMT

Afghanistan are by far the best side, out of all the associate teams!!

There was a lot of hype around Ireland but after watching them play, you could say they are definitely not better than Zimb or perhaps even Kenya.

Afg were sharp with their ground fielding but unfortunately, you can't say the same for their aerial ability.

If they get a chance to play bigger teams on a regular basis, then I'm sure they'll develop very quickly and will most certainly overtake Bangladesh.

noplay
on September 19, 2012, 18:26 GMT

India won the match, but against another team that bowling attack... well less said, the better

Yevghenny
on September 19, 2012, 18:26 GMT

Afghanistan have a great opportunity to beat England

on September 19, 2012, 18:26 GMT

Winning and losing is part of the game. But seeing Afghan vs India in World T20 Cup is a special moment. Kudos to the Afghan boys for showing little fear in the match and playing an exciting brand of Cricket.

on September 19, 2012, 18:22 GMT

India have a lot of problems to address. First: the forms of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag. The way Gambhir haa been getting out of late is worrisome. The BCCI would be well advised to send him back to domestic cricket to build his confidence and work out his technical shortcomings. Sehwag is probably nearing his sell by date. His performances have taken a sharp dip in recent times. The BCCI needs to figure out what role he can fulfill going forward. Zaheer Khan's T20 bowling is atrocious. Given that India are through to the next round unless Afghanistan manage to beat England, it might not be a bad idea to open with Pathan and Kohli and play Tiwary in place of Gambhir. Sehwag can come down the order. India should probably also think about playing Chawla/Dinda instead of Zaheer, depending on the pitch.

on September 19, 2012, 18:22 GMT

afghan team played really well..love to watch the bowling of shapoor zadran..and battting of Mohammad shehzad and Nabi sahil... thanks for showing such a high class cricket...

mark2011
on September 19, 2012, 18:20 GMT

ohh shamful narrow escape by India by non test underdogs of Afgan!!!... what a struggle by full strenght so called world champs Ind eam ...had afgan taken the catches .. Ind wud hav kept under 150 and win the match.
those who talked SL performance against minnows... bettr realised u r champs cant win convincingly even agaianst non test team...only VK score runs from so called batting team.. others strugle against good balling of Afgn.
certainly afgn ballers are better than Indian club bawlers.. ZK went over 10 rpo.. afgan balwer well under 9 rpo.
congratz to afgan for their thumping on India.. they were unlucky.. and India only win bcos of luck..that is why INDIA IS LUCK CHAMPS.. not world champs..it is proven today...

supporter_of_minnows
on September 19, 2012, 18:20 GMT

the only minnow thaat played well!! :)

whiskeysour
on September 19, 2012, 18:20 GMT

Why didn't Afghanistan play Hameed Hassan?

piyo_thanda_jiyo_thanda
on September 19, 2012, 18:13 GMT

@Chathura Kandegama - You are right, Afghanistan could have won, But they took inspiration from SL and CHOKED.

on September 19, 2012, 18:12 GMT

Afghanistan is as good a team as SL when they play against India.. Afghanistan looks as good as Bangladesh.

Grima
on September 19, 2012, 18:12 GMT

Those were some scary moments - the impact that the Afghan opening bowlers had on Sehwag and Gambhir could not be replicated by Zaheer or Irfan when they had to open the bowling attack. The Afghan team is a gutsy one - and like Ashwin says - they have nothing to lose and everything to gain! Well played Afghanistan - pity you did not win!
I absolutely agree with itzharsh - it was the dropped catches that may have lost them the match! Wake Up India!

jackthelad
on September 19, 2012, 18:11 GMT

Extremely interesting, and great to see the underdogs (if they really were against this extremely fragile India side) putting up a decent show. Unfortunately, far too indisciplined in the field, as probably everyone is saying; 16 extras and both Kohli and Raina reprieved by poor dropped catches to go on to add fifty-odd runs. Imagine if those almost 70 runs had been saved ...? One thing is for sure, if this India side don't forget their own hype and start actually playing they have almost as much chance of winning this competition as I have.

shrastogi
on September 19, 2012, 18:11 GMT

My own assesment after the toss was that if India score 150 they would win. I dont know if India would have reached there had Afghans taken those catches. Afghans flattered to deceive. I also would suggest them to bat first on good wickets if they win the toss as they have a pretty decent attack. It was a pretty shoddy performance from India. Neither convincing in bowling nor in batting. Gambhir and Sehwag have been unable to give India starts and today both of them found wanting on the use of feet. In the pesent context no other wicket rocks the Indians as that of Kohli. He is the prize Indian wicket and needs to ensure that he bats till end to give stability. The way Zaheer and Pathan went for runs doesnt give any confidence. Pathan's wicket was umpiring error. India needs to lift their game big time to make any impact.

on September 19, 2012, 18:10 GMT

india has a long way to go drop zak get harbhajan

on September 19, 2012, 18:08 GMT

One match and the Afghans feel they are among the top teams. An opener who plays like a joker and the whole team fields like 7th grade kids. Bowling was good though, batting lacks the steam totally to last 20 overs. There is no way they can sustain ODIs even if they manage some victories in 20 over format. Knock knock Afghan fans, you are talking about INDIA the current world champions ! If you can find reasons to lose a match like today, find ways to win few before your middle aged players turn 40 in say another 5 years..lol

on September 19, 2012, 18:06 GMT

India had to play with CAUTION to make sure they did not become a part of an UPSET. As Dhoni said, t20 is a format that balances every team. Had India played like a team with nothing to lose, they would have crushed the opposition. My friends from some neighboring countries will disagree to this. But fact is that INDIA WON! A victory is a victory even if it comes because of other team not showing up for play at all. And winning is all that matters. :-)

RIYADARAFIN
on September 19, 2012, 18:06 GMT

VERY POSITIVE DISPLAY BY AFG BOYS AND THEY SPREAD A MASSAGE , THAT DAY IS NOT SO FAR WHEN AFG CAN BE BEAT ANY DAY.

on September 19, 2012, 18:05 GMT

afghanistan's bowlers bowled with great intensity and agressiveness batting could be better but the dropped catches took the game away from them

Juan_Fernando
on September 19, 2012, 18:05 GMT

Ah... The extras and the dropped catches... Damn it.

Congratulations India. Well played Afghanistan.

senthil25
on September 19, 2012, 18:04 GMT

Afcan really played well. but this is not up to the mark for indians. dhoni should think abt is 5th bowler. anyway england going to loss againts them sure........... only Ashwin the bowler for india rest of them not doing their jobs. yuvi bow really well. but we cant expect him in every game.

Angry_Bowler
on September 19, 2012, 18:04 GMT

Zack, 3 overs 32 runs and wicket-less! Sehwag and Gambhir are not in form. On top of these with Balaji, these guys are poor fielders. Dhoni has serious problems before the real challenge begins.

RGee
on September 19, 2012, 18:03 GMT

you could say ifs and buts, or could have and would have......INDIA HAS BEATEN Afghanistan!!!

bigwonder
on September 19, 2012, 18:03 GMT

Good fighting performance by Afghanistan, but they were too sloppy in the field. Lot of people are now going to do what-if analysis which is pointless. India need bowlers who are smart bowlers. Zaheer, Shewag and Gambhir are not delivering anymore. Bring back Munaf. It will be tough game against England.

praveen4honestremark
on September 19, 2012, 18:01 GMT

Congrats Team India.Good performance from Indians overall to win over Afghanistan.For me Catch of the day was Gambhir taking catch of Yuvraj singh bowling to catch OUT Karim Sadiq. Even that is turning point of match. Zaheer's bowling is a worry. Not sure why there is still dilemma in Indian management to go with another bowler like Dinda. If they say experience then it is better go with 6+5 , where you can have Zaheer and Dinda both and then Ashwin and Irfan have to share batting. That is not bad at all. Dhoni will feel secure then as it will be as cushion for opening batsman who are in bad form now. But it will only happen if Irfan is promoted above one spot above him. Let us use him as slogger.People who constantly support Zaheer even after so many faliures, don't seem to atleast think of supporting Balaji who only played his first International match against NZ in T20. And bowled well in this game. Zaheer was hopeless. It is Zaheer who needs to be dropped if 7+4 format Dhoni thinks

Baheer
on September 19, 2012, 18:01 GMT

Weldon India congratulation for your win against Afghanistan

on September 19, 2012, 18:00 GMT

india won d match but afghanistan won hearts.... well played..by kohli and yuvi..its high time for gambhir and sehwag to understand tht they shdnt take their place granted....

ProdigyA
on September 19, 2012, 17:58 GMT

Zaheer Khan should seriously look at India's bowling card today and should ask himself if he really deserves to play T20 cricket. If Dhoni loves him too much to drop him, then he should drop himself.

on September 19, 2012, 17:58 GMT

well done afghan team i am proud of you guys

Sarangarajan
on September 19, 2012, 17:56 GMT

It was a very scary performance from India.This time the batting and as usual bowling have almost gave away the game. Do not get carried away with the bowling averages of Yuvraj and Balajee. Those wickets were gifted by the Afghanistan batsmen.But for Ashwin in the bowling and Kohl in the batting, no other batsman in the team had the tenacity to score runs. Afghanistan's woeful fielding and reckless batting had given a breather for India.It was a struggle for India.Hope it was just a hick up.Just imagine what would happen against quality teams! Hope the Indian think team thinks seriously and all the members pull up their socks.

mark2011
on September 19, 2012, 17:55 GMT

I wonder which team was minnows in this match!!!.. was it Afgan or so called champs Ind???...

on September 19, 2012, 17:53 GMT

luck was in favour of india....

IndianROCKstars_2011_ODIchamps
on September 19, 2012, 17:52 GMT

Excellent display from afghans although they did take too many risks and thats why managed to hit some lust blows as well. My greetings to friendly Afghan people. Even though you lost to India you have won hearts. I am glad to see Afghan fans have not misguided by false friendship and support comments of our neighbour in the middle who well just like to do that. Anyway ignore them and let friendly relations between Indian and Afhan fans stay forever. Hopefully in 2 years time you will get test status and make Zim and Bangladesh look like minnows.Once BCCI supports you, no one can stop your rise.You have probably 1 billions supporters rooting for you in you match against Eng.

on September 19, 2012, 17:52 GMT

As an Afghan Fan I Have to Say This that Afghan Team didn't do a good fielding they did a very very very very very poor fielding dropping 3 or 4 catches they could have win this game if not dropping the catches very very very very very poor fielding.

maddy20
on September 19, 2012, 17:51 GMT

My dear Lankan fans, do not worry about our team. Worry about your own. Your turn will come and you will be thrashed again. Have no illusions. Instead of appreciating the Afghans for playing good fighting cricket , these guys keep downplaying India's wins, only to be thrashed again and again when ever these two teams meet.

on September 19, 2012, 17:51 GMT

problems in feilding and as well in batting but hopefully they will get better in near future.

Really bad team selection and we need better performance in death overs .

Cricket_Master_Mind
on September 19, 2012, 17:47 GMT

Afghanistan needs a intelligent fine tune in squad. otherwise they got potential. If Muhammad Nabi stays till the end of the Game. we would have discussing India's upset defeat. Afgans were just a step behind to Win. better Luck next time. Dont forget Afgans were MInos

on September 19, 2012, 17:47 GMT

Afghans also played. They are inexperienced but they have the caliber. They strongly need a good coach.

on September 19, 2012, 17:46 GMT

Well done Afganisthan. They certainly have potential especially in bowling department. Way to go. Well about India, I wonder how far we can go with this bowling attack. Battling seems equally bad if pitch has bounce. If Kohli and Dhoni are not there, we would be much worse. Hopefully the openers regain their touch soon.

on September 19, 2012, 17:44 GMT

the so called best team restricted to 150 by spirited afgans...kind a shame for INDIA!

on September 19, 2012, 17:44 GMT

Phewww ! Thank God, my biggest fear didn't come true. Thanks Yuvi and Ashwin. You both saved us from getting embarrassed. Would like to congratualte Afghanistan team and fans for putting up a good show both with bat and ball. You guys are really Awesome ! Shapoor Zadran and Dollat both are good fast bowlers. And what can I say abt Nabi; he is a genuine all-rounder. I wish Hamid Hasan wasn't injured. Afghan should be allowed to play more and more ODIs with Test Playing nations, I'm sure they will certianly leave behind BD (No offence to BD fans) with the pace they are progressing. BD, after so many years of struggle, produced Shakib whereas Afg already have Nabi. Their fast bowling attack is better than that of this pathetic attack of Indian t-20 team (except Ashwin). But one, fielding and two, Batting technique of Afg players need to improve. Good Luck for future ! Looking frwrd to Afghn vs Eng match. HaHaHa Watch out English men :P !

on September 19, 2012, 17:43 GMT

An excellent play by Afganisthan......i didnt expect this type of play from them.... they have to improve in catches......all the best Afganisthan....... Congrates to my mother land India

on September 19, 2012, 17:43 GMT

Catches win matches. If the Afghan side held onto those 4-5 dropped catches, they would have had better chances of winning the match. However, Afghans still did really well against a top ranked side and played the game with a positive attitude. Good luck to both sides in the tournament.

fr600
on September 19, 2012, 17:43 GMT

Nothing special from India. Afghan lost for their own mistakes.

on September 19, 2012, 17:43 GMT

Well Done Afghanistan.. You did great job.. Best of Luck.

X.2.
on September 19, 2012, 17:43 GMT

lots of if and but for afghans cricketer

zan_69
on September 19, 2012, 17:41 GMT

that lbw changed the game.well played afghanistan :)

spirit_cric
on September 19, 2012, 17:41 GMT

well done Afgan!You made ur country proud!
and no doubt, with this poor bowling attack india wil be definitely not in the semi finals!

mathewjohn2176
on September 19, 2012, 17:39 GMT

Posted by Chathura Kandegama on (September 19 2012, 16:33 PM GMT), did you forgot the Zimbabwe fielding against srilanka? They dropped many catches too,otherwise srilanka wouldn't have scored that much runs.Anyway well played Afghanistan.Very god spirited performance.Indians were over cautious and scratchy at times.Less said the better about their bowlers.

abhyudayj
on September 19, 2012, 17:39 GMT

India has do some homework on their bowling otherwise it will be very difficult for them to reaches semifinals,anyway congrats to team India chakde India

swat1999
on September 19, 2012, 17:38 GMT

Afghanistan played very well. their batting, determination and spirit much better than Pakistan

on September 19, 2012, 17:37 GMT

I bet no Afghan would have been so disappointed as much Lankans are going to be!! well done Afghans well played!

LOVEUCRIC
on September 19, 2012, 17:37 GMT

great display by Afghan tigers well done guys but i suggest one thing please for the coach and captain if change the batting line as this the team would see different result in my point of view.1- stanikzai-2- nageebullah zadran-3 karim sadiq-4 mohammad shehzad-5 nabi-6 nowroz mangal-7- samiullah shinwari-8 - gubodin naib-9 sahfiqullah-10 - dawlat zadran-11 sahpor zadran if you not apply this batting line up try it any where in any game some other time, the result may be different.
any way it was a great game to watch the indian team was in real pressure it was looking very clear on their faces.

Udendra
on September 19, 2012, 17:35 GMT

WOW this is a major upset, India wins by 23 runs.

sachin_vvsfan
on September 19, 2012, 17:35 GMT

With this kind of bowling attack we dont deserve to be in the semi finals. Afghas might have lost but they bowled with heart.

And already some comments from SL fans. They are very much disappointed at india winning the game.

WorldWideCricket
on September 19, 2012, 17:34 GMT

@itzharsh: Just don't imagine brother, its cricket, and India played against Afghanistan and won the match. In cricket "what if" does not exist. And its not that India never won against any other big teams.
Congrat India ! from a bangladeshi fan

on September 19, 2012, 17:34 GMT

Good win for India. This was a nice intense game for them and this should get them going. Indians were put under pressure and they did well to win the game.

Cpt.Meanster
on September 19, 2012, 17:34 GMT

First of all CONGRATS to India and WELL PLAYED Afghanistan. In the end, a win is a win. Afghanistan need to improve their catching if they are willing to become a proper international team. You simply cannot allow QUALITY batsmen to escape. Anyway, this was the expected result. So India are virtually through to the super 8s. Now it's up to England to win against a TALENTED Afghanistan. I have always backed Afghanistan and I will do so against England. It would be a treat if Afghanistan pull off a stunner against England.

neerajprasher
on September 19, 2012, 17:33 GMT

Zaheer needs to go out repalce with Chawala,harbhajan or Tiwary.Afganistan were looking good at one stage.Still Bowling is a big issue.Come on BCCI start Picking some decent Bowlers.India play bit slow today in batting aswell.Well Done Team India for first win.

Vibhanu
on September 19, 2012, 17:33 GMT

Not good India..Not good at all...Luck was with India...4 drop catches and few run out chances were missed...Got to have good finishing bowlers...Yuvraj,Pathan won't pick wickets against better teams...Zaheer looked out of touch..Ashwin is the only dependable bowler...If india bat first they are more likely to lose..

rchathuranga
on September 19, 2012, 17:32 GMT

well played Afghans....you guys almost beat India

crazyoldchap
on September 19, 2012, 17:32 GMT

Whew.....I am glad that one is done with. India needs to pick it up a bit if they want to get intothe semis, let alone win the cup.

2luvpak
on September 19, 2012, 17:32 GMT

it is quiet good to see a team going through such troubled times show some flair and bravery hence RESPECT

mgr125128
on September 19, 2012, 17:31 GMT

If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, wouldn't it be a Merry Christmas everyday. ;)) BAZZZZIIINGAAAAAAAA
If catches would have been taken,it is possibility India would have collapsed. Equal possibility is rohit ,irfan,dhoni would have chance face lot more overs and perhaps taken score to 180+.
So mate, it could have gone anyway not just the way you dreaming about. Bazingaaaaa. It is also quite possible that since score was 160 the Afhans managed to throw caution to wind and ended up

getting 130. If score was 130 to chase maybe Afghans would have tried to play carefully and cut thier big hits and maybe lost wickets quicker in trying to be extra careful in chasing small total. So
buddy :If wishes were horses you would be riding one. :)) Accept it there was an upset todayand that was - You ? you were upset India did not loose ;)

Besolv
on September 19, 2012, 17:31 GMT

Afgans gave a good fight, well done. If they havent miss 4-5 catches, then this match would've been the "match of the tournament". A GOOD & a BAD news for England, Good one is that, no need to much worry about Indian attack (both batting & bowling). If afgan can face it so easily why cant the defending champions? Bad news is afgans gonna give a good fight to England as well, how they gonna face that?

WorldWideCricket
on September 19, 2012, 17:31 GMT

Afghanistan is a hype, it is proved today again, only 1 or 2 are good, rest are useless. Their uprising in cricket mostly happened against Ireland and other associates teams, not against any big teams. I wonder after getting all support from Pakistan,using their 100 % Pakistani cricketing facilities, playing in Pakistan with other Pakistanis, still they cant reach close to 1% of Pakistan team. I wonder what will happen when Afghanistan Cricket goes to Afghanistan main land from Pakistan. I am sure their cricket will end forever once it is in their own territory.

on September 19, 2012, 17:30 GMT

Everybody is saying that India is through to next stage. What if India looses to England & England loses to Afg? wouldn't it go on run-rate then? Somebody please explain.

sants_real
on September 19, 2012, 17:30 GMT

Great performance by Afganistan really gave India run for their money,with little better show in fielding they would have easily beaten India,
For India with this bowling attack they would need more than 200 every time to defend if they want even come near to victory.
I hope India at least have a common sense to have 5 bowlers as all batsmen are not going to play every match.

Adipose
on September 19, 2012, 17:30 GMT

Afghanistan... loved your spirit and your game. Dhoni, pull up your socks. Once in a blue moon finishes doesn't work for India. Your performance against New Zealand (T20) was talked about for all the wrong reasons. Let down your hair like old times and start firing. Yuvi, amidst concerns over his fitness has shown what a T20 player should do; score only 18.. No Problem!!! I'll take 3 wickets, Thank you!!. My humble bow to Kohli, may your form continue and prosper. Pathan has done his part as a bowler, a wicket with an economy rate of just over 7. Overall not a strong start for India, but its T20 guys... ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

rchathuranga
on September 19, 2012, 17:29 GMT

Well played Afgans, you guys almost beat India

SoulTaker
on September 19, 2012, 17:28 GMT

Am an Indian and that was the most pathetic bowling display by our team...15 runs scored in the most experienced bowler's over and that too in the critical stage...Zaheer khan should be kicked out of the team he is becoming old, we can clearly see that by the way he is bowling full tosses....Damn the selectors and Dhoni.....instead of picking up lots of batsmen in the squad we should have picked up bowlers......we are not even going to make in to the semis....

cric_roch
on September 19, 2012, 17:28 GMT

Experience helped india big way.Great fight by afghan team. they are a fearless side.
I dont know the reason why Zaheer continue to play T20 other than fear of losing IPL contract. He has been thrashed by each and every team.Still his experience is valuable in longer formats.

on September 19, 2012, 17:27 GMT

well done afghanistan.you proved inborn talent and love for the sport/game is more vital than money,infrastructure and fame.one may have the richest cricket board and most fanatical(most of the time unreasonable)fan following in the world,but nothing can make up for the lack of genuine raw talent and enthusiasm for the game.i dare the indian bowlers(fast-haha-cant stop laughing,as well as the spinners)to bowl at me..i'm ready to face them without helmet,in my t-shirt and jeans.this will settle the argument for once and all..your are just not good enough..

Lets_talk_straight
on September 19, 2012, 17:27 GMT

Yuvi should have been given man of the match..

JustIPL
on September 19, 2012, 17:26 GMT

It was just Afghanistan but the coming days can be very tough for India. MS equalled the MS in terms of runs and boundaries the senior one with a six off course.Kohlis and Rainas again proving themselves of critical importance.

on September 19, 2012, 17:25 GMT

Excellent India.Keep it up.

Htc-Android
on September 19, 2012, 17:25 GMT

india were lucky to win todays match. poor fielding from afghan and the three quick wickets during afghans innings handed in the win for minnow india. very good spirited performance from afghan. i dont think they can beat Eng. bcoz they got a good bowling attack and will be bowling alot of short balls after seeing todays game.

on September 19, 2012, 17:24 GMT

@Azith Gamage I agree Afgan played well.But what's the point about ranking?India T20 rank is no.4 with a rating point of 111.37 matches,20 wins 16 losses and one draw

kazimreza
on September 19, 2012, 17:23 GMT

well played afghanistan...if they have hold on the catches things will be more tough for india..any ways hope they keep the same spirit in their next match against england

kumarcoolbuddy
on September 19, 2012, 17:22 GMT

I definitely know that now SL fans will attack Indian team for not winning very very comfortably. SL fans have to do that because Indian fans criticized SL earlier, correct? India would have not reached if Afghan had fielded well. India would haven't reached 100 if Afghan bowled well too. Better if we stop such criticisms. Finally India will get tough competetion after looking at today's bowling.

romeomustdie
on September 19, 2012, 17:22 GMT

OMG.. wat a relief.. thanks to the drop catches and one poor decision or things would have been even worse.. serious problems with gambhir's technique.. gambhir and zaheer should be resting for the upcoming matches..

Congrats Afganisthan.. u r here to stay.. very solid performace.. expecting more from u in future.. and i seriously hope u dont stay strandard as the minnows bangladesh..

on September 19, 2012, 17:22 GMT

Haha Indian... :/ Dear Indian don't worry at least Indian bowler know how to bowl short pitch... ;) Anyways Good fight Afghan best of luck for next time...

on September 19, 2012, 17:22 GMT

India won the match but, What a play by Afgan, they played brilliantly, hats off! All the best to Afgan team for there next match and same to our Indian team as well. Lets see, if they can put off a better show against England.

murk
on September 19, 2012, 17:21 GMT

great show by afghanistan
good that another asian is emerging in cricket
seeing afghanistan as replica of sri lankan team

great win for 7th ranked indian team over 12th ranked afgan, this will certainly go down as india's one of best cricketing moments,, well done,, always happy to see minnows winning

JaDeD_INDIAN
on September 19, 2012, 17:20 GMT

@Young-Tiger guessing from your name i guess u Bangla fan? Get this straight I'm Indian and i still think Afghanistan are brilliant in T20 as said by the commentator they have "raw" talent.As for Indian team pace department has become a real worry i don't see us winning this tournament at all.

on September 19, 2012, 17:20 GMT

Yipeeeeeeeeee !! India Won ... Good Fight from Afghanistan as well. Good to see an Asian team emerging like this ..

Maduka43
on September 19, 2012, 17:19 GMT

Hat off for Afgan. Indians , Sorry nothing to say.

on September 19, 2012, 17:19 GMT

afghanis would have won if they fielded well nd not drop those 4 catches

on September 19, 2012, 17:19 GMT

is india chance for this t20 is bleak..... England is in good form another win against PAK decider will be INDVS ENG

tookama
on September 19, 2012, 17:17 GMT

Shameful victory,,,, India need some batter bowler...

just_chill_chill
on September 19, 2012, 17:17 GMT

@ Chathura Kandegama - Upset of the T20 happened already. SL managed to win a match !! And since no tournament is complete without India humiliating SL, so watch out here we come !

Narbavi
on September 19, 2012, 17:17 GMT

Wow, what a spirited effort from the Afghan boys, all they need is a bit of discipline in catching and bit more effort in batting department, surely in years to come they will be a good side,

on September 19, 2012, 17:16 GMT

atleast india is not invincible. Must have been quite a jolt. Way to start the tourney india!!

on September 19, 2012, 17:16 GMT

well played Afgan! ..... SALUTE

rob_damn
on September 19, 2012, 17:06 GMT

ohh.. i meant no.7 or no. 8 batsman...

on September 19, 2012, 17:06 GMT

Ashwin Ravi is distroying the spirit of cricket by stopping and taking a moment of break whiel bowling..... Poor staff by a player of a mighty team...... :( But hats off to Afghans......

on September 19, 2012, 16:56 GMT

Well, well,well if not for that bat first pad second lbw, then certainly Afg would have won it...

rob_damn
on September 19, 2012, 16:54 GMT

My dear fellow indian seamers..... when a no.7 or no. 8 bowler backs away... a full, wide or on the pads is the delivery to bowl, not a length ball on the wicket.... and could you please stop bowling full toss....

Young-tigers
on September 19, 2012, 16:50 GMT

Afghanistan are rubbish simple as that, say no more! only 1 or 2 are good rest naaah...and I'm not Indian or there fan

on September 19, 2012, 16:33 GMT

Afghanistan fielding was so poor, dropped several catches and otherwise india wont make 140

itzharsh
on September 19, 2012, 16:32 GMT

Just imagine had they fielded like an international side or if like south africa then I guess India would have been out under 100.great potential in this Afghan team

on September 19, 2012, 16:24 GMT

India manage to get 159 runs can they cause a major upset by restricting afghans to below that score....

rob_damn
on September 19, 2012, 16:05 GMT

Ok I take back my previous comment about shehzad being high on confidence and trying helicopter... over confidence is always damaging.. there he goes..

rob_damn
on September 19, 2012, 16:02 GMT

over 2.4 .... what a lucid throw from balaji from deep... it actually died till reaching the crease... not expected from a fast bowler's arm.... and the helicopter next ball is good.. high in confidence... keep going...

on September 19, 2012, 15:53 GMT

Come On India !! Crush Afghanistan..

rob_damn
on September 19, 2012, 15:53 GMT

That wasnt a bad bowling display... well done afghan boys.. none of bowler went for 9 or above... I think balaji's economy is going to be over 12 (and add 2 or 3 par-timers to that as well)... lets see... uptill innings break afghanistan did very well.... cheers...

Tokai69
on September 19, 2012, 15:48 GMT

Well done Afg so far! 14 wide in a 20 ov is a lot which could made the difference of this game.

cricketkhan
on September 19, 2012, 15:42 GMT

so a big question now, do India has the bowling not to concede 159!!!!!!!!

on September 19, 2012, 15:32 GMT

7 batsmen and still such a low score!! are we in contention for the cup ?

Tokai69
on September 19, 2012, 15:25 GMT

Homebody has to do the bat if not India

X.2.
on September 19, 2012, 15:10 GMT

drop catches wont win matches as this was the case with zimbabwe yesterday and today with afghanistan dropping yuvi, virat and raina

on September 19, 2012, 14:07 GMT

India should LOST this match to get an idea about their T20 Rankings

No featured comments at the moment.

on September 19, 2012, 14:07 GMT

India should LOST this match to get an idea about their T20 Rankings

X.2.
on September 19, 2012, 15:10 GMT

drop catches wont win matches as this was the case with zimbabwe yesterday and today with afghanistan dropping yuvi, virat and raina

Tokai69
on September 19, 2012, 15:25 GMT

Homebody has to do the bat if not India

on September 19, 2012, 15:32 GMT

7 batsmen and still such a low score!! are we in contention for the cup ?

cricketkhan
on September 19, 2012, 15:42 GMT

so a big question now, do India has the bowling not to concede 159!!!!!!!!

Tokai69
on September 19, 2012, 15:48 GMT

Well done Afg so far! 14 wide in a 20 ov is a lot which could made the difference of this game.

rob_damn
on September 19, 2012, 15:53 GMT

That wasnt a bad bowling display... well done afghan boys.. none of bowler went for 9 or above... I think balaji's economy is going to be over 12 (and add 2 or 3 par-timers to that as well)... lets see... uptill innings break afghanistan did very well.... cheers...

on September 19, 2012, 15:53 GMT

Come On India !! Crush Afghanistan..

rob_damn
on September 19, 2012, 16:02 GMT

over 2.4 .... what a lucid throw from balaji from deep... it actually died till reaching the crease... not expected from a fast bowler's arm.... and the helicopter next ball is good.. high in confidence... keep going...

rob_damn
on September 19, 2012, 16:05 GMT

Ok I take back my previous comment about shehzad being high on confidence and trying helicopter... over confidence is always damaging.. there he goes..